f 


fiM, 


J-^hv 


/' 


f 


I 


THE 


MILITARY  ADYENTIIRES 

OP 

CHARLES   O'NEIL, 

WHO  WAS  A  SOLDIER  IN  THE  ARMY  OF  LORD  WELLINGTON   DURING  THE 

MEMORABLE   PENINSULAR   WAR   AND   THE   CONTINENTAL 

CAMPAIGNS   FROM   1811    TO   1815; 

mOLUDmO  FULL  EISTOBIES  OP 

THE  BLOODY  BATTLE  OF  BAROSSA, 

AND 

THE  MEMORABLE  SIEGE   OF  BADAJOS; 


TOGETHER  WITH  A  GRAPHIO  SESCRIFTIOK  OF  TEB 

BATTLE    OF   WATERLOO, 

TERMINATING    WITH    THE    OVERTHKOW    OF    NAPOLEON  ; 
IN  ALL  OP  WHICH  HE  WAS  AN  ACTOR. 


ILLUSTRATED   BY    SIX    SPLENDID    ENGRAVINGS. 


WORCESTER: 
PUBLISHED  FOR  THE  AUTHOR  BY  EDWARD  LPTERMORE. 

1851. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  tlie  year  1851, 

By    CHARLES    O'NEIL, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachiisetts. 


Stereotyped  by 

HOBAKT   k  ROBBINS; 

HEW  ENGl^ND  TYPE  AND  STEREOTYPE  rOUNDERY, 

BOSTON. 


PEEFACE. 


The  history  of  times  and  events,  of  men  and  their  char- 
acters, must  ever  be  replete  vrith  interest  and  instruction. 
Chi'onicles  of  the  great  and  wise,  the  noble  and  the  learned, 
are  often  presented  to  the  world ;  and  the  mihtar  j  hero  and 
chieftain  finds  everywhere  his  biographer.  We  read  of  cam- 
paigns that  his  mind  has  traced  out,  of  battles  which  his  plans 
have  won ;  and  we  forget,  in  our  admiration  of  his  skill  and 
power,  those  by  whom  the  heroic  deeds  were  done,  the  victory 
gained.  Generals,  says  one  author,  "often  calculate  upon 
men  as  though  they  were  blocks  of  wood,  or  movable  ma- 
chines." Yet  every  one  of  these  nameless  soldiers  has  feel- 
ings as  acutely  alive  to  suffering  and  to  honor  as  those  who 
look  upon  them  thus. 

It  is  well  sometimes  to  turn  away  from  the  glare  and  tinsel 
of  rank,  fi'om  the  glitter  of  arms  and  the  pageantry  of  war,  to 
follow  the  common  soldier  in  his  partings  and  wanderings,  to 
cast  the  glance  of  pity  upon  his  sufferings,  and  allow  the 
heart  to  be  moved  with  compassion  while  regarding  the  tempt- 
ations which  must  ever  beset  his  path.  It  is  only  thus  that 
a  true  knowledge  of  the  evils  and  miseries  of  war  can  be 
obtained;  and  only  when  this  knowledge  is  spread  far  and 


IV  PREFACE. 

■wide,  that  we  may  hope  to  see  the  banner  of  peace  unfurled, 
and  the  olive-branch  "waving  in  quiet,  where  now  the  sword 
spreads  its  desolation,  and  the  vulture  feasts  on  the  unburied 
dead. 

Thoughts  like  these  may,  perhaps,  lend  interest  to  the  un- 
pretending narrative  of  one  who  now  presents  himself  and  the 
scenes  of  his  times  before  an  indulgent  pubhc,  with  none  of  the 
advantages  of  rank,  or  birth,  or  fame,  to  recommend  him  to 
its  notice.  Simply  one  of  the  rank  and  file,  he  was  an  actor 
and  participator  in  the  scenes  he  has  endeavored  faithfully  to 
represent. 

It  is  his  ardent  wish,  by  this  httle  volume,  to  awaken  more 
interest  in  this  class  of  his  fellow-beings,  so  often  forgotten 
in  the  lustre  of  that  halo  which  rarely  fails  to  surround  the 
victor's  name. 

The  work,  such  as  it  is,  he  cheerfully  commends  to 
the  public^  looking  with  unshaken  trust  to  its  kindness 
and  sympathy  for  the  success  and  encouragement  which  he 
hopes  it  may  be  his  lot  to  meet. 

Worcester,  July  4, 1851. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Introductory  Remarks.  —  The  Author's  Birth.  —  Parentage.  —  Prevalence 
of  the  Military  Spirit.  —  Two  of  his  Brothers  enlist,  and  are  killed  in  the 
Service.  —  Author  apprenticed  to  a  Carpenter.  —  His  Desire  for  a  Mili- 
tary Life.  —  Leaves  Home  -without  the  Consent  of  his  Parents.  —  Reaches 
Belfast,  and  enlists.  —  Dissatisfied  -with  his  new  Position.  —  Deserts,  and 
returns  to  his  Native  Village.  —  Again  enlists,  at  Navan.  —  Still  dissat- 
isfied, and  again  deserts.  —  Enlists  a  third  Time.  —  Marches  to  Dublin, 
and  thence  to  Cork.  —  Departs  for  England.  —  Incidents  of  the  Voyage. 
—  Sails  for  the  Peninsula.  — The  Ship  on  Fire.  —  A  Terrific  Storm.  — 
Arrives  in  Spain.  —  Gibraltar.  —  A  Flogging,      7 

CHAPTER  11. 

Origin  of  the  War  in  the  Peninsula.  —  Siege  of  Saragossa.  —  Murderous 
Character  of  the  "War.  —  Success  of  the  French  in  Portugal.  —  Battle  of 
Rolica.  —  Battle  of  Vimiero.  —  Convention  of  Cintra.  —  The  French 
evacuate  Portugal.  —  Preparations  of  Napoleon  for  another  Campaign. 
— He  subdues  the  Country,  and  enters  Madrid.  — Address  to  the  Span- 
ish People.  —  Napoleon  recalled  by  the  War  with  Austria.  —  Soult  and 
Ney  intrusted  with  the  Command  of  the  French  Army  in  Spain.  — 
Retreat  of  Sir  John  Moore.  —  Battle  of  Corunna.  —  Death  of  Sir  John 
Moore. — The  British  Army  sail  for  England, 50 

CHAPTER  III. 

Joseph  Bonaparte  again  King  of  Spain.  —  His  Difficulties  with  Soult.  — 
Second  Siege  of  Saragossa.  —  Another  English  Army,  under  Sir  Arthur 
Wellesley,  lands  at  Lisbon.  —  Battle  of  Ta^avera.  —  The  English  retire 
into  Portugal.  —  Siege  of  Gerona.  —  Principal  Events  of  the  Campaign 
of  1810.  —  The  English  Troops  make  a  Stand  at  Torres  Vedras.  — 
Retreat  of  Massena.  —  Siege  of  Cadi2,  —  Escape  of  French  Prisoners.  — 
Openingof  the  Campaign  of  1811, 99 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Author,  with  his  Kegiment,  leaves  Gibraltar,  for  Tarifa.  —  Dissensions 
between  the  Spanish  and  English  Officers.  —  Battle  of  Barossa.  —  Retreat 
of  the  French.  —  Suffering  of  the  Pursuing  Army.  —  Guerillas.  —  Don 
Julian  Sanchez,  —  Juan  Martin  Diaz.  —  Xavier  Mina.  —  Continued  Pri- 
vations of  the  British  Army.  —  Adventures  of  the  Author  in  Search  of 
Food.  —  Arrival  of  the  Commissariat  ■with  Provisions.  —  Extravagant 
Joy  of  the  Troops.  —  Departure  of  the  British  Army  for  Badajos,   .    123 

CHAPTER  V. 

Badajos. — Its  Capture  by  the  French.  —  Attempts  to  retake  it  by  the 
English.  —  Wellington  invests  it  in  Person.  —  Assault  upon  Fort  Chris- 
tovaL  —  Storming  of  the  Tovra.  —  Terrific  Conflict  —  The  place  sacked 
by  the  Victors.  —  Disgraceful  Drunkenness  and  Debauchery  of  the 
Troops.  —  The  Main  Body  of  the  Army  depart  for  Beira,     ....    160 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Eomantic  Adventures  of  Sir  Colquhoun  Grant  —  The  Author  ordered, 
with  a  Convoy,  to  Brussels.  — Description  of  the  Route.  —  The  Pass  of 
Roncesvalles.  —  Memorable  Defeat  of  the  Army  of  Charlemagne  there. 
—  A  sudden  Attack  and  Repulse.  —  The  Author  arrives  at  Brussels, 
and  joins  the  Garrison  of  that  Place, 199 

CHAPTER  Va. 

Brief  Summary  of  Events  for  Four  Years  preceding  the  Battle  of  Waterloo. 
— Author's  Narrative  resumed  at  that  Period.  —  Preparation  of  Troops 
for  the  Battle.  —  Skirmishing  preceding  its  Commencement.  —  Recep- 
tion of  the  News  at  Brussels.  —  Departure  of  the  English  for  the  Field 
of  Battle.  —  Disposition  of  the  Forces.  —  Attack  upon  Hougomont.  — 
Progress  of  the  Battle.  —  An-ival  of  the  Prussian  Reinforcements.  — 
Charge  of  the  Old  Guard.  —  Flight  of  the  French. —  The  Author 
wounded,  and  left  upon  the  Field.  —  Rescued  by  a  Camp-foUower.  — 
Carried  to  the  Hospital,  and  thence  taken  to  England.  — He  quits  the 
Service,  and  emigrates  to  America.  —  Conclusion, 217 


MILITARY    ADVENTURES. 


CHAPTEE    I. 

Introductory  Remarks.  —  The  Author's  Birth.  —  Parentage.  —  Prevalence 
of  the  Military  Spirit.  —  Two  of  his  Brothers  enlist,  and  are  killed  in  the 
Service.  —  Author  ^prenticed  to  a  Carpenter.  —  His  Desire  for  a  Mili- 
tary Life.  —  Leaves  Home  without  the  Consent  of  his  Parents.  —  Reaches 
BeUast,  and  enlists.  —  Dissatisfied  with  his  new  Position.  —  Deserts,  and 
returns  to  his  Native  Village.  —  Again  enlists,  at  Xavan.  —  Still  dissat- 
isfied, and  again  deserts.  —  Enlists  a  third  Time.  —  Marches  to  Dublin, 
and  thence  to  Cork.  —  Departs  for  England.  —  Incidents  of  the  Voyage. 
—  Sails  for  the  Peninsula.  — The  Ship  on  Fire.  —  A  Terrific  Storm.  — 
Arrives  in  Spain.  —  Gibraltar. — A  Flogging. 

People  advanced  somewliat  in  life,  and  surrounded 
by  a  family  of  children,  often  find  great  pleasure  in 
retracing  scenes  of  their  own  childhood, —  in  living 
over,  again  and  again,  the  hours  which  have  been  to 
them  so  productive  of  happiness  or  misery ;  and  the 
events  of  those  bygone  days  present  to  their  minds 
scenes  of  far  deeper  and  more  thrilling  interest  than 
the  present  can  ever  do.  The  thrice-told  tale  is  as 
new,  and  as  glowing  with  interest,  as  though  its  occur- 
rences were  but  of  yesterday.  This  is  true  in  the 
case  of  most  whose  lives  have  been  diversified  by  the 
changes  of  varied  condition  and  prospects.  But  how 
much  more  true  is  this  of  the  old  soldier, —  one  who, 


8.         MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

in  early  life,  became  inured  to  the  hardships  of  war 
and  the  severe  duties  of  camp  life.  Scenes  in  the 
camp,  and  on  the  bloody  field  of  martial  combat, 
where  death,  in  its  most  terrific  forms,  is  met  by 
many, —  the  horrors  of  the  siege,  and  the  conse- 
quences to  the  vanquished, — the  sufferings,  the  writh- 
ings  and  groans,  of  the  distressed  and  the  dying, — 
too  deeply  impress  the  mind  to  be  ever  erased ;  and,  in 
our  times  of  peace,  should  serve  to  enliance  the  value 
of  the  blessings  we  enjoy.  It  is,  perhaps,  with  some- 
thing like  these  feelings,  that  the  author  of  the  fol- 
lowing sketch  presents  his  nan-ative  to  the  public. 
He  can  claim  no  titled  ancestry,  nor  lordly  birth,  to 
throw  around  him  a  fictitious  glory.  This  tale  draws 
its  interest  from  the  wild  scenes  of  war,  and  the 
wilder  passions  of  men's  souls,  which  it  has  been  his 
fortune  to  encounter.  It  is  his  hope  both  to  instruct 
and  amuse  the  young,  that  they  may  better  prize  the 
blessings  of  peace  ;  and  learn  that  war,  with  all  its 
glory,  is  to  be  dreaded,  not  sought  for, —  that  it  is 
productive  of  far  more  evU  than  good,  even  to  the 
successful  party,  and  that  it  should  ever  be,  to  all 
nations,  only  a  last  resort  from  the  most  flagrant 
oppression. 

I  was  born  in  Dendolk,  in  the  county  of  Lowth, 
Ireland,  in  June,  1793.  I  was  the  youngest  of 
eleven  childi-en,  six  of  whom  were  sons,  and  five 
daughters.  My  father's  name  was  Charles  O'Neil, 
and  my  mother's  maiden  name  was  Alice  McGee. 
My  father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  he  sup- 


PREVALENCE    OF    THE    MILITARY    SPIRIT.  9 

ported  his  large  family  by  daily  toil.  He  was  an 
industrious  and  active  laborer,  and  in  other  times 
would  gladly  have  seen  his  family  settlo  around  him, 

* 

pursuing  the  peaceful  avocations  of  husbandry,  or 
engaged  in  some  of  the  useful  mechanic  arts.  But  it 
was  our  fortune  —  or  misfortune,  I  should  say  — to 
live  when  all  Europe  resounded  to  the  din  of  arms, 
and  the  glory  of  martial  life,  amid  the  confusion  and 
carnage  of  battle.  Napoleon,  the  mightiest  of  heroes 
and  conquerors,  was  then  rapidly  ascending  to  the 
zenith  of  his  glory ;  and  all  the  crowned  heads  of 
Europe,  terrified  by  his  growing  power,  and  anxious 
to  save  themselves  and  their  thrones,  began  to  pre- 
pare themselves  for  resistance.  Recruits  were  sought 
for  in  every  village  and  hamlet.  The  honors  of  the 
soldier's  life,  and  the  glory  of  the  military  profession, 
were  everywhere,  and  by  all  classes  of  people,  the 
topics  of  conversation.  Fathers  and  mothers  were 
careful  to  instil  into  the  minds  of  their  children  the 
glory  and  honor  of  a  military  life,  and  the  fair  young 
damsels  of  our  own  dear  island  —  for  Ireland  has 
charming  and  beautiful  girls  —  were  scarcely  willing 
to  regard  any  young  man  as  honorable  or  brave, 
who  did  not  enlist,  and  aim  to  deserve  well  of  his 
country.  He  is  a  soldier,  he  has  fought  in  such  a 
battle,  he  belongs  to  his  majesty's  regiment,  &c., 
were  a  sure  passport  to  society  and  respectability. 
All  other  occupations  were  considered  tame  and  spir- 
itless, fit  only  for  the  aged,  infirm,  and  for  cowards. 
My  father  caught  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  although 


10        MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

too  old  to  engage  in  such  an  enterprise  himself,  gave 
his  ready  permission  to  Arthur,  my  oldest  brother, 
who  early  sought  to  distinguish  himself  on  the  field 
of  battle.  My  mother's  consent  was  not  so  readily 
given,  but  even  she  did  by  no  means  object  to  his 
new  enterprise;  and  when  he  presented  liimself 
before  his  parents,  in  his  new  uniform,  for  their  part- 
ing blessing,  she  felt  proud  that  her  son  was  pos- 
sessed of  such  a  noble,  courageous  soul.  She  cheer- 
fully gave  him  her  hand,  saying,  "Go,  my  son; 
cover  yourself  with  glory  in  the  service  of  your  coun- 
try, and  when  you  are  old,  you  will  be  honored, 
respected,  and  provided  for."  But,  alas !  how  little 
did  my  mother  think  that  the  first  news  she  would 
hear  from  her  first-born  son,  after  this  blessing,  would 
fill  her  own  heart  with  grief  unutterable.  He  en- 
listed into  the  navy,  and  was  placed  upon  a  seventy- 
four  gun-ship,  named  the  "  Terrible;"  and  terrible, 
indeed,  it  proved  to  him,  for  he  was  killed  by  a  can- 
non-ball, a  few  months  only  after  enhsting,  in  an 
engagement  which  took  place  in  1807,  near  the  coast 
of  Holland,  between  his  majesty's  fleet  and  the  French 
naval  force.  His  death  was  a  severe  affliction  to  my 
parents,  and  completely  damped  my  father's  desire 
for  military  honor  for  his  children.  It  was,  there- 
fore, with  deep  regret  that  they  saw  in  my  brother 
James'  mind  a  growing  disHke  to  the  quiet  duties 
and  occupations  of  home,  and  an  earnest  longing  for 
those  warlike  scenes  which  had  been  so  fatal  to  Ar- 
thur.    This  desire  soon  grew  so  strong  that  entrea-  . 


BROTHER   KILLED   IN   BATTLE.  11 

ties  and  persuasions  were  alike  useless  from  my  dear 
and  aged  parents  ;  and  in  less  than  two  years  from 
Arthur's  death,  he  enlisted  in  the  royal  army  of 
George  IV.,  in  the  96th  regiment  of  foot.  It  was 
a  sorrowful  day  in  our  little  home,  when  the  news 
came  that  his  regiment  was  ordered  abroad,  into  the 
foreign  service.  My  father  gave  him  much  good 
advice,  with  many  directions  for  the  attainment  of 
that  honor  he  hoped  to  see  him  enjoy,  at  some  distant 
day.  But  my  poor  mother  could  only  weep,  and 
express  her  deep  regret  that  Jimmie  would  not  be 
contented  to  live  at  home,  at  the  same  time  reit- 
erating her  confident  prediction  that  she  should  see 
his  face  no  more.  Since  the  melancholy  death  of 
Arthur,  the  glory  and  honor  of  military  life  all  gave 
place  to  the  carnage,  the  slaughter,  and  the  dreadful 
sufferings  of  the  battle-fieM,  where  no  kind  hand 
could  minister  the  slightest  consolation,  and  where 
agony  unmitigated  might  be  the  fate  —  and  to  her 
mind  undoubtedly  would  be —  of  her  son.  She  wept 
aloud,  and  would  not  be  comforted.  But  the  die  was 
cast ;  Jimmie  was  resolved,  at  all  hazards,  to  be  a  sol- 
dier. He  thought  not  of  danger,  and  did  not  fear 
death.  He  only  thought  of  the  excitement  of  mar- 
tial strife,  the  joy  and  honor  awaiting  the  victor,  and 
the  subsequent  reward.  Alas  !  for  him  the  bright 
future  never  dawned.  My  mother's  fears  were  but 
too  well  founded ;  for  he,  too,  feU  dead  upon  the  field 
of  battle,  while  fighting'  bravely  for  his  country,  in 


12       MLITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

his  first  engagement,  in  the  bloody  battle  of  Tala- 
vera. 

It  was  my  father's  wish  that  I  should  become  a 
carpenter ;  and  he,  early  in  life,  put  me  an  appren- 
tice to  his  own  trade.  But  the  quiet  habits,  constant 
labor, —  destitute  of  an  exciting  or  romantic  incident, 
—  of  a  mechanic's  life,  ill  suited  the  tastes  I  had 
already  formed.  There  resided  near  us  an  old  sol- 
dier, who  found  great  pleasure  in  relating  the  adven- 
tures of  his  past  life ;  and  I  was  never  weary  of  list- 
ening to  them.  My  imagination  w\as  excited,  and 
the  romantic  scenes  he  related  to  me,  with  the  thrill- 
ing incidents  of  a  soldier's  life,  made  a  deep  and 
permanent  impression  upon  my  mind.  Alas  for 
me,  that  I  ever  fell  in  company  with  this  old  soldier  ! 
My  peace  Avas  destroyed  ;  I  was  uneasy,  and  deter- 
mined not  to  remain  ii>  my  employment,  as  a  car- 
penter's apprentice.  Each  interview  Avith  him 
strengthened  my  desire  for  a  participation  in  those 
scenes  which,  I  was  sure,  Avould  be  so  delightful  and 
interesting. 

Mingled  with  a  desire  to  see  foreign  countries, 
and  be  a  sharer  of  those  actions  to  whose  thrilling 
narration  I  had  so  often  listened  with  so  much  inter- 
est, came  an  ardent  thirst  for  revenge  on  those  whom 
I  regarded  as  the  murderers  of  my  brothers.  About 
this  time,  one  of  my  cousins,  to  whom  I  was  warmly 
attached,  resolved  to  enlist  in  a  regiment  that  was 
then  being  formed  at  Belfast.  He  was  very  anxious 
that  I  should  accompany  him.     It  did  not  require 


REFLECTIONS   ON   LEAVING  HOME.  tt 

much  persuasion  to  induce  me  to  determine  so  to  do. 
But  I  remembered  how  difficult  it  had  been  for  my 
brother  James  to  gain  my  parents'  consent,  and  being 
anxious  to  avoid  a  scene  which  must  be  so  painful  to 
all,  I  resolved  to  leave  without  their  knowledge. 

This  was  a  most  wicked  resolution,  and  deeply  do 
I  regret  such  an  unkind  and  unwise  act.     It  was  not 
without  many  misgivings  and  fears  that  I  left  the 
home  of  my  childhood.     0,  that  I  never  had  stifled 
that  voice  which  so  clearly  bade  me  not  to  go  under 
such  circumstances !    There  were  many  things  to  call 
up  these  misgivings,  and  to  hold  me  back  from  such 
a  cruel  purpose .    The  uniform  kindness  of  my  parents, 
the  severe  trials  to  which  they  had  already  been  sub- 
jected,—  for,  beside  the  loss  of  my  brothers,  they 
had  buried  four  of  their  children,  in  early  childhood, 
—  their  known   wishes   that  I  should   pursue    my 
father's  calling,  the  affection  I  still  felt  for  home  and 
my  dear  parents, —  all  these  made  me  hesitate,  as  I 
stood  at  our  little  gate,  with  my  earthly  all  in  the 
small  bundle  I  held  in  my  hand.     There,  on  the  one 
hand,  were  my  dear  parents  and  brothers  and  sisters, 
all  quietly  asleep,  wholly  unconscious  that  I  hadformed 
such  a  wicked  purpose,  and  by  stealth  packed  my  few 
clothes,  and  whatever  else  I  could  caU  my  own,  in 
my  little  bundle  ;    there  was  the  home  of  my  child- 
hood, the  hallowed  scene  of  my  early  sports  and 
joys,  under  the  smiles  and  watchfuhiess  of  the  kind- 
est of  parents ;    there  were  the  early  associates  of 
my  boyish  days,  and  all  necessary  to  render  me  happy 


14       MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

and  quiet ;  —  and,  on  the  other,  were  the  glories  of 
the  military  profession,  and  the  unreal  pleasures  I 
had  anticipated  in  foreign  countries, —  scenes  and 
events  pictured  in  my  imagination  from  the  stories 
of  that  old  soldier.  The  realities  of  home,  and  all 
that  was  dear  on  earth,  opposed  to  the  more  heated 
imaginations  of  scenes  in  other  countries,  and  upon 
the  field  of  carnage, —  I  almost  resolved  to  go  back, 
and  become  what  my  parents  wished.  I  hesitated, 
at  that  solemn  and  still  hour  of  the  night,  for  some 
time,  before  I  could  break  away.  Had  I  only  gone 
back,  and  done  what  I  knew  I  ought  to  have  done, 
it  would  have  been  right ;  and  I  caution  all  my  young 
readers  never  to  stifle  such  convictions,  or  break 
away  from  such  restraints.  But  the  thought  of  my 
cousin,  who  was  waiting  for  me,  and  the  glowing 
scenes  which  my  imagination  had  painted  in  the 
countries  beyond  the  sea,  to  which  I  hoped  soon  to 
go,  drowned  the  earnest  pleadings  of  the  good  spirit, 
whose  stiU  small  voice  was  heard  in  my  soul.  I, 
with  sudden  violence,  sundered  these  unpleasant 
reflections,  and  madly  resolved,  come  what  would, 
to  go  ahead.  I  rushed,  with  the  utmost  rapidity, 
from  my  home,  and  drowned  every  conviction  and 
thought  that  would  come  up  in  my  soul,  of  all  that 
I  had  left  behind.  I  soon  found  my  cousin,  and  we 
pursued  our  way  to  Belfast,  with  the  utmost  rapid- 
ity. How  little  did  I  then  think  that  so  many  years 
would  elapse  before  I  should  again  see  that  well- 
known  spot,  and  those  dear  friends  who,  in  spite  of 


JOURNEY  TO   BELFAST.  15- 

my  wildness  and  disobedience,  had  loved  me  through 
all,  and  were  unceasingly  seeking  my  best  good !  But 
I  was  now  to  enter  another  sphere  of  life,  and  be 
subjected  to  far  other  influences  than  those  to  which 
I  had  been  accustomed  from  early  childhood.  I  was 
at  this  time  only  seventeen  years  of  age, — 1810.  My 
comrade,  like  myself,  was  quite  young.  Our  ideas 
of  the  happiness  of  a  soldier's  life  were  much  the 
same  ;  and  we  amused  each  other,  on  our  lonely  way, 
by  relating  all  the  adventures  either  of  us  had  ever 
heard,  of  what  was  then  to  be  our  future  profession. 
When  morning  came, —  that  morning  in  which  there 
was  to  be  so  much  grief  in  our  quiet  homes,  and  when 
the  tears  of  my  dear  mother,  and  her  groanings,  were 
to  be  again  heard,  for  an  absent  son,  who  had  stolen 
away, —  we  feared  to  be  recognized,  by  some  one 
who  might  be  passing,  if  we  continued  our  journey. 
So  we  stopped  in  an  old,  deserted  hut,  and  making 
our  simple  meal  of  the  bread  we  had  brought  with 
us,  we  lay  down  and  slept.  About  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  not  seeing  any  one  near,  we  pursued 
our  way,  and  travelled  all  night.  The  next  morning 
found  us  far  from  home,  among  scenes  and  people 
entirely  strange,  and  greatly  fatigued  by  our  night's 
march.  We  found  a  teamster,  who  was  going  to 
Belfast,  and,  by  much  persuasion  and  entreaty,  suc- 
ceeded in  persuading  him  to  carry  us  to  that  city. 
Right  glad  were  we  to  rest  our  weary  legs,  and 
amuse  ourselves  by  gazing  at  the  new  and  strange 
objects  which  met  our  eyes  as  we  passed  along  the 
2* 


16       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES  O  NEIL. 

road.  We  reached  Belfast  about  sunset.  Neither 
of  us  had  ever  before  seen  so  large  a  place  as  this  ; 
and  we  thought,  as  we  rode  through  some  of  its  prin- 
cipal streets,  that  we  never  should  be  weary  of  gazing 
upon  its  churches  and  public  buildings,  which  ap- 
peared to  us  so  grand  and  beautiful. 

This  city  is  one  of  the  principal  seaports  of  Ire- 
land.    It  lies  about  ninety  miles  north  of  Dublin,  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  Lagan.     With  a  population 
of  forty  thousand,  and  all  the  advantages  which  it 
possesses  for  trade,  it  may  well  be  imagined  that  we 
found  in  its  busy  streets  and  crowded  thoroughfares 
enough  to  rally  again  all  the  excitement  and  glowing 
visions  which  our  fatigue  was  beginning,  in  some 
degree,  to  dim.     But  when  our  driver  stopped  at  a 
small  inn,  in  one  of  the  back  streets  of  the  city,  a 
good   supper   and  bed   seemed  too  inviting  to  be 
resisted,  and  we  were  soon  asleep.     At  early  dawn, 
however,  we  were  awakened  by  the  roll  of  the  drum, 
and  were  soon  in  the  street,  gazing,  with  wondering 
eyes,  at  the  many  strange  sights  we  saw.     Near  our 
hotel  a  canal  came  in,  which  connects  the  little  lake 
of  Lough  Neagh  with  the  Bay  of   Belfast.     The 
canal-boats  attracted  our  attention,  and  my  cousin 
proposed  visiting  them  ;  but,  far  over  the  tops  of  the 
houses,  I  could  see  the  tall  masts  of  the  vessels 
which  lay  moored  in  the  harbor,  and  I  could  not 
restrain  my  curiosity  longer.     So  we  were  soon  on 
our  way  to  the  port.     The  harbor  is  an  excellent  one. 
It  is  constantly  filled  with  shipping,  as  vessels  draw- 


A  RECRUITING   OFFICER.  17 

ing  thirteen  feet  of  water  can  easily  anchor  here. 
We  had  scarcely  reached  the  wharf,  when  I  was 
surprised  to  hear  a  familiar  voice  calling  my  name. 
Turning  hastily,  I  discovered  an  old  playmate,  who 
had  left  Dendalk  about  three  years  since,  for  the  sea. 
He  belonged  to  one  of  the  large  vessels  now  in  port. 
Nothing  could  have  been  more  opportune  for  us,  as 
he  was  acquainted  with  the  place,  and  showed  us  the 
ship  where  he  was,  which  we  should  not  otherwise 
have  had  an  opportunity  of  visiting. 

To  him  we  confided  our  object  in  leaving  home, 
and  he  promised  to  aid  us  in  finding  the  ofiicer. 
Soon  after  leaving  the  wharf,  we  passed  a  large  build- 
ing, which,  my  friend  informed  us,  was  a  manufac- 
tory for  Irish  linen,  which  is  one  of  the  staple  exports 
of  the  place.  I  afterwards  learned  that  no  less  than 
eight  hundred  looms  found  continual  employment  in 
the  production  of  this  valuable  commodity.  But 
much  as  I  should  have  enjoyed  a  visit  to  this  place,  a 
scene  now  presented  itself  which  had,  in  my  eyes, 
far  greater  attractions.  Near  the  centre  of  a  small 
open  place  stood  a  covered  cart,  embellished  with 
flaming  handbills,  giving  a  description  of  the  success 
of  the  British  troops  on  the  peninsula.  On  its  top 
stood  a  neatly- dressed  soldier,  who  was  haranguing, 
with  much  earnestness,  the  motley  group  that  sur- 
rounded him,  and  calling  loudly  for  recruits  to  engage 
in  such  glorious  service.  Judging  from  the  descrip- 
tion we  heard,  our  most  sanguine  expectations  had 
fallen  far  short  of  the  reality  ;  and  of  course  this  was 


18       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

an  opportunity  not  to  be  lost.  We  eagerly  pushed 
our  way  through  the  crowd,  which  we  had  some  dif- 
ficulty in  doing  ;  but  the  eagle  eye  of  the  officer  soon 
rested  on  us,  and,  perceiving  our  eagerness,  he  called 
out,  "  Make  way,  make  way  there,  my  lads  !  that 's 
right,  that  *s  right, —  fine  soldiers  you  'U  be,  my 
he§Lrties,  I  warrant!"  Of  course,  aU  eyes  were 
directed  to  us ;  and  if  any  idea  of  retreating  had 
occurred,  the  loud  hurrah  for  the  new  soldiers,  which 
ran  around  the  crowd,  would  at  once  have  decided 
the  question.  But  no  such  idea  came  to  disturb  our 
peace,  and  our  names  were  handed  in.  Being  asked 
how  long  we  would  serve,  each  of  us  answered, 
without  a  moment's  hesitation,  *'  For  life."  "  For 
life,  then,  are  you  soldiers  of  his  majesty,"  the  offi- 
cer replied. 

Each  of  us  then  received  from  him  eighteen  guin- 
eas, and  were  sent  to  the  barracks,  as  members  of 
the  8th  regiment  of  foot.  Much  elated  with  what 
we  considered  our  good  fortune,  we  proceeded  at  once 
to  make  a  selection  of  our  kit,  as  it  is  called.  This 
consisted  of  two  shirts,  two  pairs  of  stockings,  a 
plate,  knife  and  fork,  and  a  few  other  small  articles, 
the  cost  of  which  does  not  often  exceed  a  guinea. 
A  suit  of  regimentals  was  then  provided  for  us,  by 
the  officer  of  our  mess,  and  we  soon  found  ourselves 
quite  at  home  in  our  new  situation.  But  we  had  not 
been  here  long,  when  we  began  to  find  the  old  adage 
applicable  in  our  case,  "All  is  not  gold  that  glitters." 
The  drills  to  which  we  were  subjected  were  very 


DISCONTENTED   WITH   THE    SERVICE.  19 

tiresome  to  those  as  unaccustomed  to  any  kind  of 
restraint  as  we  were.  In  addition  to  this,  as  many 
of  our  troops  had  deserted,  we  were  so  closely 
watched  that  we  lost  all  the  enjoyment  that  I  had 
anticipated  in  viewing  the  curiosities  of  the  city.  It 
was  hardly  to  be  supposed  that,  unwilling  as  I  had 
been  to  submit  to  the  quiet  restraints  of  home,  I 
should  find  a  pleasure  in  the  rigid  discipline  of  the 
parade-ground ;  and  before  one  week  had  passed  away, 
I  found  myself  pondering  whether  I  could  not,  in  some 
way,  escape  from  my  regiment.  Not  that  I  intended 
to  give  up  the  military  profession  entirely,  for  I 
still  thought  that  in  some  other  place  I  should  find 
the  happiness  I  sought.  Every  night,  after  we  had 
retired  to  our  quarters,  I  listened  to  the  many  tales 
my  comrades  were  ever  ready  to  teU,  of  those  who, 
weary  of  their  lot  as  soldiers,  had  deserted, —  of 
their  hair-breadth  escapes,  and  the  cruel  punish- 
ment to  which  they  were  subjected,  when  discov- 
ered. The  very  romance  connected  with  the  un- 
dertaking, and  the  thrilling  interest  that  existed 
in  listening  to  these  adventures,  strengthened  in  my 
mind  my  desire  to  share  in  their  experience.  It  also 
occurred  to  me  that  should  I  still  wish  to  continue 
in  the  service,  I  might  go  to  another  part  of  Ireland, 
where  I  was  unknown,  and  again  receive  the  bounty- 
money  offered  to  all  enlisting.  Yet  all  these  motives 
would  have  been  insufficient,  had  not  an  incident 
occurred  which  aroused  aU  the  independence  and 
opposition  of  my  nature.     I  was  unjustly  accused  of 


20       MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

a  breach  of  discipline,  and,  in  spite  of  my  protesta- 
tions of  innocence,  was  punished  for  it.  This  cir- 
cumstance was  sufficient  to  overcome  any  fear  that 
might  exist  of  the  consequences ;  and  the  very  next 
day  —  only  twelve  days  from  the  time  I  had  entered 
the  service,  with  such  glowing  anticipations  —  an 
opportunity  occurred,  which  I  determined  not  to  lose. 
Close  to  the  parade-ground  was  a  small  shop  where 
liquor  was  sold,  and  which  was  much  patronized  by 
the  soldiers.  Into  this  shop  I  saw  an  old  clothes 
man  enter,  and  immediately  followed  him.  Having 
ordered  a  pint  of  porter  for  him,  I  asked  him  if 
he  would  be  wiUing  to  exchange  his  old  and  ragged 
clothes  for  my  new  suit.  He  said  he  would,  and 
informed  me  that  I  might  meet  him  under  a  bridge 
near,  where  we  might  make  the  exchange.  Ob- 
serving that  no  one  was  near,  I  went  under  the 
bridge,  and  soon  reappeared,  dressed  in  his  old 
clothes,  and  bearing  his  pack.  Thus  disguised,  I 
walked  bravely  onwards,  even  passing  some  of  my 
old  comrades,  who  did  not  recognize  me.  The  alarm 
was  soon  given,  and  soldiers  started  in  pursuit.  They 
soon  came  up  to  me,  and  even  stopped  to  inquire  if 
I  had  seen  any  one  pass. 

It  was  with  no  small  degree  of  pleasure  I  saw 
them  take  another  road  from  the  one  I  designed  to 
pursue.  As  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight,  I 
renewed  my  speed,  feeling  anxious  to  get  as  far  as 
possible  from  Belfast  before  another  morning.  At 
length,  wearied  out,  I  solicited  and  obtained  permis- 


RETURNS   TO   DENDALK.  21 

sion  from  a  farmer  to  remain  during  the  night.  He 
observed  me,  however,  so  closely.,  that  my  suspicions 
were  aroused,  and  I  began  to  fear  that  he  would 
attempt  to  inform  against  me,  in  order  to  obtain  the 
reward  offered  to  those  who  deliver  up  a  deserter. 
He  questioned  me  quite  closely,  as  to  where  I  had 
been,  where  I  was  going,  and,  finally,  asked  me 
dii-ectly,  if  I  had  not  been  a  soldier.  I  denied  it  at 
first,  but  soon  concluded  that  my  best  way  would  be 
to  appeal  to  the  old  man's  generosity.  I  did  so,  and 
was  not  disappointed.  He  not  only  did  not  infomi, 
but  kindly  offered  to  assist  me  on  my  way.  Before 
daylight  Ave  arose,  and  I  dressed  myself  in  a  suit  of 
clothes,  with  which  he  furnished  me,  and  taking  my 
seat  by  his  side,  in  his  market  wagon,  was  once 
more  on  my  way  home.  He  talked  to  me  long  and 
faithfully  on  our  journey,  nor  did  he  leave  me  until 
he  saw  me  alight  at  my  father's  door.  Good  old  man ! 
I  shall  never  forget  his  kindness.  He  has  long  since 
gone  to  his  reward  ;  yet  at  this  distant  day  my  heart 
throbs  with  the  recollection  of  it,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  the  old  farmer  of  the  Downs. 

My  parents  received  their  returning  son  with  true 
parental  affection,  and  to  them  I  gave  what  money 
still  remained  from  my  enlistment  bounty.  When  I 
first  returned  home,  they  earnestly  hoped  I  should 
now  be  willing  to  remain  there  ;  and  I  might,  per- 
haps, have  yielded  to  their  entreaties,  could  I  have 
done  so  with  safety.  But  soldiers  were  often  passing 
through  Dendalk,  and  I  was  in  great  danger  of  being 


22       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

recognized.  This  induced  my  parents  to  consent 
that  I  should  leave  home  a  second  time,  and  try  my 
fortune  again  in  the  camp.  There  was  no  lack  of 
opportunity.  A  regiment  was  forming  at  Navan, 
and  to  this  place  I  directed  my  steps,  and  soon  found 
myself  enrolled  as  a  member  of  the  64th  regiment 
of  foot,  and  again  received  eighteen  guineas  from  the 
service. 

I  had  been  here  but  three  days,  when  we  were 
summoned  out  to  witness  the  punishment  of  a  de- 
serter. He  was  an  athletic  young  man,  who  had 
been  pressed  into  the  service.  He  had  left  at  home 
an  old  mother,  a  sick  wife  and  one  child,  dependent 
on  his  daily  labor  for  support.  Finding  all  attempts 
to  procure  a  discharge  unsuccessful,  he  had  deserted, 
and  been  retaken,  through  the  treachery  of  a  pre- 
tended friend,  who,  for  the  sake  of  a  few  pounds, 
could  betray  the  distressed  son  and  husband  to  so 
cruel  a  punishment,  and  a  stiU  more  cruel  separa- 
tion from  those  so  dearly  loved.  It  would  naturally 
be  supposed  that  the  strong  temptation  which  existed 
for  desertion  might  have  mitigated  the  punishment ; 
but  this  was  not  the  case.  War  recognizes  none  of 
those  affections  which  make  the  happiness  of  the 
human  heart.  It  seeks  only  to  crush  out  their  life, 
or  perhaps  holds  them  up  to  ridicule,  as  things  of  no 
moment.  He  was  sentenced  to  receive  three  hun- 
dred lashes.  His  sentence  was  executed,  and  we 
saw  him  taken  down,  bleeding  and  mangled,  and  car- 
ried to  the  hospital  almost  insensible.     It  was  a  long 


ALARMING  INTELLIGENCE.  23 

time  before  he  recovered  sufficiently  to  perform  duty. 
He  did  not  again  attempt  desertion.  A  few  days 
after,  word  was  brought  him  that  his  wife  and  child 
had  died  from  want,  and  that  his  old  mother  was  in 
the  parish  workhouse.  He  was  never  seen  to  smUe 
again.  The  soldiers  were  all  kind  to  him,  but  I 
learned  afterward,  that  he  soon  sickened,  and  died  of 
a  broken  heart.  The  sight  of  this  punishment  filled 
me  with  dread,  and  threw  quite  a  damper  on  my 
exalted  ideas  of  a  military  life. 

Our  commanding  officer  was  very  strict, — unneces- 
sarily so,  as  we  thought, —  in  his  rules,  and  rigorous 
in  the  execution  of  punishments.  He  had  been  so 
long  in  his  situation,  and  seen  so  much  of  misery, 
that  his  heart  was  completely  hardened.  Every 
disobedience,  even  an  accidental  variation  from  his 
orders,  however  triffing,  was  punished  to  the  extent 
of  the  law  —  often  beyond  it. 

If  I  had  found  the  discipline  and  restraint  of  Bel- 
fast unendurable,  this  was  far  worse.  Nor  was  I  at 
all  disposed  to  submit  to  it.  I  had  deserted  once, 
without  discovery.  Why  should  I  not  do  so  again? 
I  was  restless  and  uneasy,  and  came  in  for  my  full 
share  of  punishment.  I  was  thinking  on  tliis  subject 
one  day,  when  my  attention  was  suddenly  arrested 
by  a  conversation  between  two  officers  near  me. 
"  How  soon  is  the  regiment  expected  from  Belfast  ?  " 
said  one.  "  In  about  three  days,"  replied  the  other. 
"Do  you  know  its  number  ? "  "  The  8th  regiment 
of  foot,"  was  the  answer.  It  was  the  very  one  with 
3 


24       MILITAKY  ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

which  I  had  been  connected !     Of  course,  I  should 
be  at  once  recognized,  and  not  only  lose  the  bounty- 
money  I  had  abeady  received,  but  be  punished  as  a 
deserter.     This  dreaded  prospect  roused  every  en- 
ergy of  my  spirit,  and  I  resolved  to  escape  before 
their  arrival,  at  all  hazards.      Fortune  seemed  to 
favor  my  undertaking.     The  next  morning,  which 
was  the  11th  of  June,  only  twelve  days  from  my 
second  enlistment,  I  was  sent  out,  with  a  number  of 
other  soldiers,  to  bring  back  some  horses  which  had 
strayed  from  the  camp,  having   broken  from  their 
pickets.     On  my  way,  my  attention  was  accident- 
ally attracted  to  a  large  tree,  which  grew  near  the 
road.     The  tree  was  hollow,  and  its  entrance  was 
completely  screened  from  observation  by  a  luxuriant 
vine  which  twined  itself  around  the  trunk.     As  we 
were  searching  for  the  horses,  I  succeeded  in  exam- 
ining it,  without  attracting  observation,  and  found 
that  I  could  be  concealed  there  for  a  short  time. 

Taking  advantage  of  a  moment  when  no  one  was 
near,  I  placed  myself  in  the  tree,  and,  scarcely  ven- 
turing to  breathe,  awaited  the  search  which  I  knew 
would  be  made  for  me.  Once  or  twice,  a  soldier 
passed  so  near  that  I  could  hear  the  leaves  rustle 
against  his  coat.  But  their  efforts  were  fruitless.  I 
was  not  discovered,  and  remained  in  my  shelter  until 
the  noise  of  their  footsteps  had  died  away.  Then, 
creeping  out,  I  ran  as  fast  as  I  could  away  from  Na- 
van,  avoiding  as  much  as  possible  the  highways,  as  I 
knew  that  my  dress  would  betray  me.     It  was  neces- 


RESOLVES   TO   ENLIST    A   THIRD   TIME.  25 

sary  that  I  should  rid  myself  of  it  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible ;  but  there  was  great  risk  in  doing  it,  as  I 
should,  of  course,  betray  myself  to  the  one  with  whom 
the  bargain  should  be  effected ;  —  and,  where  all 
were  strangers,  I  dared  not  run  so  great  a  risk.  I 
did  not  wish  to  go  home,  as  the  danger  to  which  I 
was  now  exposed  would  be  greater  even  than  before, 
and  would  be  a  source  of  keen  distress  to  my  mother. 
So  I  directed  my  steps  to  my  sister's  cottage,  which 
was  much  nearer  than  my  father's.  Here  I  met  with 
a  kind  reception,  and  a  secure  hiding-place  for  some 
time,  in  return  for  which  I  bestowed  the  whole  of 
my  money  on  her.  We  had  many  conversations 
as  to  my  future  course.  She  was  very  anxious  that 
I  should  give  up  my  ideas  of  being  a  soldier,  and  go 
quietly  home.  But  to  this  I  could  not  consent.  I  had, 
it  is  true,  ascertained  that  there  were  troubles  in  that 
life,  as  well  as  in  others ;  but  I  still  thought  that  when 
I  had  once  entered  upon  active  service  I  should  find 
my  lot  quite  different.  I  had  as  yet  seen  no  foreign 
countries,  nor  could  I  bear  the  idea  of  settling  down 
to  a  steady  employment.  I  wanted  a  life  of  ease, 
excitement,  and  pleasure.  I  had  heard  far  too  much 
of  that  intense  excitement  which  pervades  every 
breast  when  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  summons  the 
soldier  to  combat,  and  of  the  glory  that  foUows  the 
successful  warrior,  to  feel  willing  to  give  it  all  up. 
Beside,  my  condition  was  now  irksome  in  the 
extreme.  There  was  so  much  danger  of  being  rec- 
ognized, that  I  could  not  feel  myself  safe  anywhere. 


26      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   0*NEIL. 

A  description  of  my  person  and  appearance  had  been 
sent  all  over  the  country,  with  the  offer  of  the  usual 
reward.  I  concluded  that,  should  I  enlist  in  another 
part  of  the  country,  I  should  stand  a  much  better 
chance  of  not  being  recognized,  as  they  would  hardly 
look  for  a  deserter  in  the  barracks.  On  the  3d  of 
July,  therefore,  I  bade  my  sister  a  long  farewell,  and 
started  out  in  pursuit  of  a  regiment.  I  walked  all 
day,  and  at  night  found  myself  at  a  small  town  so  far 
from  my  home  that  I  thought  I  might  venture  to  stop 
at  the  inn,  especially  as  there  seemed  to  be  no  troops 
near.  I  did  so.  I  had  eaten  my  supper,  and  was 
about  retiring,  when  I  observed  a  list  of  deserters 
pasted  up  in  one  of  the  rooms.  Hastily  running  it 
over,  I  saw  my  own  description  there  too  plainly  to 
be  mistaken.  Of  course,  I  could  not  remain  there  for 
the  night ;  and,  walking  leisurely  to  the  door,  I  was 
just  passing  out,  when  my  attention  was  attracted  to 
the  conversation  of  two  persons  near.  "  I  am  sure  it 
must  be  he,"  said  one.  "  Did  you  read  the  descrip- 
tion?—  the  very  same  hair  and  eyes,  I  am  sure," 
said  the  other.  "  We  shall  get  the  reward,  no  doubt. 
As  soon  as  he  has  gone  to  bed,  we  will  send  for  the 
officer.  But  come,  let  us  go  in,  and  take  care  that 
he  does  not  suspect  us."  As  I  had  recognized  my 
landlord's  voice,  I  considered  that  such  treachery 
was  sufficient  to  justify  a  sudden  leave ;  and,  think- 
ing that  he  might  take  his  pay  for  his  supper  from 
his  expected  reward,  I  hastened  away.  Having 
travelled  an  hour  or  two,  I  threw  myself  on  a  pile  of 


-     HIS   REGIMENT  IN  DUBLIN.  27 

straw,  and  rested  till  morning,  determined  that  I 
would  trust  myself  in  no  one's  house  until  I  was 
again  enlisted.  It  was,  therefore,  with  pleasure  that 
I  heard,  soon  after  sunrise,  the  sound  of  martial 
music  in  advance  of  me.  Two  hours  after,  I  was 
quietly  ensconced  in  my  quarters,  in  the  Lowth  Mili- 
tia, en  route  for  Dublin,  having  the  third  time 
received  my  money  from  government. 

Our  progress  towards  the  capital  was  very  slow,  as 
we  were  constantly  looking  out  and  receiving  addi- 
tions to  our  company  from  the  peasantry  of  the  places 
through  which  we  passed.  The  glowing  descriptions 
of  our  recruiting-sergeant,  the  thrilling  sound  of  the 
martial  music,  the  very  sight  of  so  many  well-dressed 
soldiers,  presented  strong  inducements  to  the  ragged, 
half-clad,  and  half-starved  children  of  poor  unfortu- 
nate Ireland,  to  leave  her  shores  for  at  least  a  season. 
Then  there  was  the  hope  of  returning  with  the  pen- 
sion, that  would  insure  to  them,  in  their  old  age,  a 
sustenance,  of  which  they  could  he  certain  from  no 
other  source.  These  inducements  carried  desolation 
to  many  a  home,  but  they  filled  our  ranks;  and,  on 
the  20th  of  July,  we  were  in  Dublin,  with  complete 
numbers.  Here  I  enjoyed  more  liberty  than  I  had 
done  at  either  of  the  other  stations,  and  had  more 
opportunity  to  see  the  place.  The  barracks  are  sit- 
uated in  the  west  end  of  the  city,  near  the  beautiful 
river  which  divides  it  into  two  equal  parts.  Not  far 
from  them  rises  the  noble  hospital  of  Kihnainham, 
destined  for  the  reception  of  disabled  and  superan- 
3* 


28       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   0  JNJbllL. 

nuated  soldiers.  The  visits  of  these  old  soldiers  was 
a  source  of  great  pleasure  to  us,  as  we  were  never 
weary  of  hearing  them  recount  their  tales  of  war  and 
of  hard-fought  fields ;  while,  in  listening  to  our  antic- 
ipations, and  in  seeing  us  go  through  the  exercises 
required,  they  almost  seemed  to  renew  their  own 
youth.  Preparations  were  now  rapidly  being  made 
for  our  departure  to  England ;  and,  as  the  time  drew 
near,  my  thoughts  naturally  reverted  to  my  own  dear 
home,  and  I  felt  it  would  be  a  great  privilege  if  I 
could  once  more  see  my  parents.  I  therefore  wrote 
to  them,  giving  them  a  full  account  of  my  wander- 
ings, my  place  of  destination,  and  begging  them  at 
least  to  write  to  me  before  I  left,  and  say  that  I  was 
forgiven  for  all  the  trouble  and  anxiety  I  had  cost 
them.  The  return  mail  brought  me  a  letter  from 
them,  assuring  me  of  their  love  and  forgiveness,  and 
promising  to  visit  me  before  we  left.  I  may  as  well 
state  here  that  I  did  not  see  my  dear  parents  again. 
They  came  to  Dublin,  as  they  had  promised ;  but  we 
had  left  the  day  before,  for  Cork.  They  would  have 
followed  me  there,  immediately,  had  they  not  been 
informed,  at  the  barracks,  that  I  had  left  directly  for 
England.  It  was  the  policy  of  our  officers  to  prevent 
these  meetings  as  often  as  possible,  on  account  of 
their  effect  upon  the  soldiers.  And  no  one,  in  whose 
heart  lingered  a  particle  of  kindness,  could  look 
unmoved  on  the  spectacles  of  misery  which  it  was 
almost  daily  my  lot  to  witness,  when  the  time  ap- 
proached for  us  to  leave.    Of  the  thousands  collected 


AN   AFFECTING   SCENE.  29 

there,  waiting  to  be  transferred  to  a  foreign  shore, 
how  few  would  ever  return !  and,  of  those  few,  how 
many  would  come  back,  with  ruined  health  and  broken 
hearts,  only  to  find  desolation  and  death  where  they 
had  hoped  for  love  and  sympathy !  Many  of  these 
had  enlisted  while  under  the  influence  of  liquor,  or 
else  had  been  brought  in  by  the  press-gang ;  and,  in 
thus  leaving  their  families,  they  were  deprived  of 
every  means  of  subsistence,  and  must  either  soon 
perish  from  want,  or  linger  out  a  more  protracted, 
but  scarcely  less  miserable  existence,  in  the  work- 
house. 0 !  why  must  Ireland  suffer  so  much  from 
her  poverty,  with  her  fertile  soil  and  many  produc- 
tions ? — that  deep  poverty,  which  has  forced  so  many 
of  her  sons  abroad  to  die,  and  which  still  continues 
to  force  them  abroad,  to  ask  that  assistance  and  aid 
which  it  were  worse  than  useless  to  expect  at  home ! 
Of  these  partings,  to  which  I  have  referred,  the 
long  course  of  years  has  scarcely  dimmed  the  painful 
impression  they  made  upon  my  memory.  One  of 
those  oftenest  recalled  was  that  of  a  young  man  who 
was  bidding  adieu  to  his  aged  parents.  He  was  an 
only  son,  and  his  most  diligent  care  and  labor  scarcely 
sufficed  to  supply  them  with  the  common  necessaries 
of  life.  Their  lease  had  recently  expired,  and  to 
renew  it  again  a  sum  of  money  was  required  which 
was  utterly  beyond  their  simple  means.  Nothing 
could  save  them  from  immediate  ejectment  unless 
the  lease  was  renewed,  and  this  faithful  son  deter- 
mined to  secure  a  home  for  his.  parents  in  their  old 


30        MILITARY   ADVENTUEES   OF    CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

age  by  gaining  the  bounty-money  offered  to  volun- 
teers. To  do  this,  however,  he  must  submit  to  a 
separation  which  he  could  not  hope  could  be  other- 
wise than  final ;  for  who  would  care  and  labor  for 
them  when  he  was  gone  ?  And  those  parents,  accus- 
tomed as  they  had  been  to  his  presence  and  kindness, 
how  could  they  live  when  the  sunlight  of  their  exist- 
ence had  set?  Never  have  I  seen  agony  more 
strongly  depicted  on  the  human  countenance  than  it 
appeared  on  his,  as  he  turned  away  from  their  fare- 
well clasp.  Poor  feUow  !  he  deserved  a  better  fate 
than  afterwards  befell  him ;  for  he  died  by  the  hands 
of  a  guerilla,  on  the  hills  of  Spain.  What  became 
of  his  aged  parents  I  never  knew.  We  could  only 
hope  that  the  angel  of  death  would  be  merciful,  and 
come  soon  to  their  relief. 

Turning  away  from  this  sad  scene,  which  brought 
tears  into  eyes  all  unused  to  weep,  it  was  only  to 
meet  another,  which  affected  the  heart  almost  as 
deeply.  A  woman,  pale  and  sickly-looking,  worn  to 
premature  old  age  by  incessant  toil  and  suffering, 
and  the  mother  of  five  little  children,  was  bidding 
farewell  to  her  husband.  He  had  enlisted  while 
drunk,  and  had  spent  or  lost  nearly  all  of  his  money 
before  recovering  his  senses.  When  he  was  able  to 
realize  his  situation,  his  feelings  could  scarcely  be 
controlled;  for  he  was  the  sole  dependence  of  his 
helpless  family.  But  there  was  now  no  help  for  him. 
The  money  was  gone,  he  had  pledged  himself,  and  he 
must  go,  and  leave  his  family  to  starve  or  live  on  the 


TREATMENT    ON   THE   MARCH.  31 

bread  of  charity.  But  I  will  not  dwell  on  this  part- 
ing scene.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that,  when  our  prepara- 
tions were  complete,  and  our  regiment  ordered  to 
Cork,  I  left  Dubhn,  with  all  its  magnificence,  with- 
out a  regret. 

We  marched  to  Cork,  —  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty-two  miles,  —  by  slow  and  easy  marches. 
I  believe  the  regulations  of  the  service  only  require 
ten  miles'  march  in  the  course  of  the  day ;  but  we 
almost  always  went  further  than  that  before  halting. 
From  the  time  of  leaving  Dublin  we  began  to  receive 
the  usual  pay  of  an  English  soldier,  which  is  one 
shilling  per  day,  and  two  suits  of  clothes  per  year. 
Of  this  sum  the  government  retain  one  half,  for  fur- 
nishing bread  and  beef.  With  the  other  sixpence 
the  soldier  is  required  to  furnish  himself  with  what- 
ever else  he  may  wish  for ;  or,  if  we  preferred  it, 
while  marching  in  Ireland,  the  whole  sum  was  paid 
us,  and  then  we  purchased  what  we  chose.  By  being 
very  abstemious,  some  of  our  men  saved  a  few  pence 
daily,  which  was  often  transmitted  to  the  suffering 
ones  at  home.  Whenever  we  halted  for  the  night 
the  soldiers  were  billeted  upon  the  inhabitants  of 
the  place,  each  family  being  required  to  accommo- 
date one,  two,  or  more  soldiers  with  lodgings  and  a 
supper.  The  number  of  the  house  and  the  name  of 
the  street  was  given,  on  a  ticket,  to  each  soldier, 
which  he  was  required  to  present  at  the  door,  and 
the  family  must  either  accommodate  him,  or  furnish 
him  with  money  to  procure  lodgings  elsewhere.  This 


32       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

was  often  very  unpleasant  for  the  inhabitants,  and 
the  alternative,  of  course,  was  frequently  adopted, 
especially  by  the  more  wealthy  classes.  We  were 
not  always  treated  with  kindness  by  those  who  were 
thus  forced  to  receive  us,  —  having  frequently  to  put 
up  with  the  poorest  accommodations  that  could  be 
furnished.  But,  as  soldiers  have  never  been  noted  for 
their  forbearance  or  mildness,  such  persons  usually 
found  themselves  worse  off,  in  the  end,  than  if  they 
had  pursued  a  different  course.  As  a  general  thing, 
when  treated  with  kindness,  it  was  returned  with 
civility,  especially  while  we  were  in  our  own  coun- 
try. In  the  wars  on  the  continent,  in  the  frequent 
passages  of  armies  into  the  countries  of  their  oppo- 
nents, the  inhabitants  often  suffered  severely  from 
this  custom ;  and  reprisals  were  frequently  made, 
when  opportunity  offered,  which,  if  not  justified  by 
the  law  of  right,  were  most  certainly  by  that  of  camps. 
An  incident,  illustrating  this,  which  occurred  while  I 
was  on  the  continent,  and  which  afterwards  appeared 
in  the  newspapers  of  the  day,  may  be  given  here,  as 
I  shall  not  again  have  occasion  to  allude  to  this  sub- 
ject. 

A  Prussian  officer,  on  his  arrival  at  Paris,  partic- 
ularly requested  to  be  billeted  on  the  house  of  a 
lady,  in  the  Faubourg  St.  Germain.  His  request 
was  complied  with,  and,  on  his  arriving  at  the  lady's 
house,  he  was  shown  into  a  small  but  comfortable  sit- 
ting-room, with  a  handsome  bed-chamber  adjoining 
it.     With  these  rooms  he  appeared  greatly  dissatis- 


ANECDOTE.  33 

fied,  and  desired  that  the  lady  should  give  up  to  him 
her  own  apartment,  on  the  first  floor,  which  was  large 
and  elegantly  furnished.  To  this  the  lady  made  the 
strongest  objections  ;  but  the  officer  insisted,  and  she 
was  under  the  necessity  of  retiring  to  the  second 
floor.  He  afterwards  sent  a  message  to  her,  by  one 
of  the  servants,  saying  that  he  destined  the  second 
floor  for  his  aid-de-camp.  This  occasioned  still 
stronger  remonstrances  from  the  lady,  but  they  were 
totally  unavaiUng  and  unattended  to  by  the  officer, 
whose  only  answer  was,  "Obey  my  orders!"  He 
then  called  the  cook,  and  informed  him  he  must  pre- 
pare a  handsome  dinner  for  six  persons,  and  desired 
the  lady's  butler  to  supply  the  table  with  the  best 
wines  the  cellar  could  affi)rd.  After  dinner,  he  sent 
for  his  hostess.  She  obeyed  the  summons.  The 
officer  then  said  to  her,  "No  doubt,  madam,  you 
consider  my  conduct  indecorous  and  brutal  in  the 
extreme."  "  I  must  confess,"  she  answered,  "  that 
I  did  not  expect  such  treatment  from  an  officer  ;  as, 
in  general,  military  men  are  ever  disposed  to  show  a 
great  degree  of  respect  and  deference  to  our  sex." 
"  You  think  me,  then,  a  most  perfect  barbarian  ? 
Answer  me,  frankly."  "  If  you  really  desire  my 
undisguised  opinion  on  the  subject,"  said  the  lady, 
"I  must  say  that  I  think  your  conduct  truly  bar- 
barous." "  Madam,"  was  the  answer,  "I  am  en- 
tirely of  your  opinion  ;  but  I  only  wished  to  give 
you  a  specimen  of  the  behavior  and  conduct  of  your 
son,  during  six  months  that  he  resided  in  my  house. 


34       MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

after  the  entrance  of  the  French  army  into  the  Prus- 
sian capital.  I  do  not  intend,  however,  to  follow  so 
bad  an  example.  You  have  full  liberty,  therefore,  to 
resume  your  apartment  to-morrow,  and  I  will  seek 
lodgings  at  some  public  hotel."  The  lady  retired, 
quite  satisfied  that  the  officer  was,  after  all,  an  hon- 
orable man. 

While  passing  through  a  small  village,  not  far  from 
Cork,  it  was  my  fortune  to  be  billeted,  with  two  of 
my  comrades,  in  a  house  where  the  eldest  daughter 
was  that  evening  to  be  married.  The  company  had 
already  assembled,  when,  knocking  at  the  door,  we 
presented  our  billets.  The  master  of  the  house  came 
to  meet  his  unwelcome  guests.  He  offered  us  quite 
a  large  sum  to  seek  some  other  place  for  the  night ; 
but,  as  we  had  obtained  an  inkling  of  what  was  going 
forward,  we  declined.  Of  course,  no  alternative 
remained  but  to  receive  us  with  as  good  a  grace  as 
he  could.  I  am  happy  to  say,  however,  that  we  did 
not  forget  what  was  due  to  our  hosts,  in  the  way  of 
decorum,  although  we  joined  in  the  merry  dance,  and 
saluted  the  bride  with  soldier-like  freedom.  Money 
was  often  made  by  the  soldiers,  when  they  chose  to 
do  so,  as  they  would  frequently  receive  three,  five, 
or  even  ten  shillings,  for  their  tickets,  and  then  fur- 
nish themselves  with  cheaper  lodgings  elsewhere. 

We  arrived  in  Cork  in  September.  This  large  city 
is  next  in  size  to  Dublin,  and  hes  one  hundred  and 
sixty-two  miles  to  the  south-west  of  it.  It  was  orig- 
inally built  upon  an  island,  but  in  process  of  time  it  was 


SEA-SICKNESS.  35 

extended  to  both  sides  of  the  river.  Its  harbor  is 
nine  miles  from  the  city.  It  is  a  beautiful  harbor, 
very  safe  and  capacious.  Here  we  remained  until 
the  middle  of  October,  when  we  were  ordered  to  sail 
for  England.  The  transport  Lunar  was  sent  to  con- 
vey us,  and,  having  received  her  complement  of  men, 
she  was  soon  under  way.  Almost  all  on  board  were 
new  recruits,  who  were  leaving  Ireland  for  the  first 
time,  and  it  was  with  various  and  deep  emotions  that 
we  watched  her  fast-receding  shores.  Mingled  with 
many  sad  recollections  of  parents,  and  home,  and 
friends,  came  dreams  of  future  glory,  the  thirst  for 
martial  fame,  and  anticipations  of  the  happiness  we 
should  enjoy  in  scenes  far  away,  whose  very  distance 
and  indistinctness  added,  far  more  than  exact  reality 
could  have  done,  to  the  brightness  of  our  hopes.  But, 
however  golden  might  have  been  the  visions  that 
filled  our  minds,  we  were  certainly  destined  to  real- 
ize none  of  them  on  that  day.  Sea-sickness  soon 
sent  us  all  to  our  berths,  and  a  more  miserable,  woe- 
begone looking  set  than  our  company  presented  could 
not  easily  be  found.  But  though  none  of  us  felt 
inclined  to  laugh,  a  looker-on  might  have  found  much 
amusement,  in  the  grotesque  attitudes,  the  comical 
grimaces,  and  the  unavailing  complaints,  that  re- 
sounded on  every  side.  But,  however  much  the  old 
tars  on  board  might  have  been  disposed  to  make  them- 
selves merry  at  our  expense,  the  next  day  gave  them 
sufi&cient  occupation  in  attending  to  their  own  affairs. 
The  morning  that  we  left  the  beautiful  harbor  of 
4 


36       MILITART  ADVENTURES   OF   CHAELES   O'NEIL. 

Cork  was  fair  and  cloudless.     The  gentle  breeze, 
directly  in  our  favor,  carried  us  out  into  the  channel 
with  an  easy,  gliding  motion,  that  promised  us  a 
short  and  pleasant  voyage.     But  when,  just  at  night, 
weary  of  the  confinement  and  confusion  in  our  cabin, 
I  crept  on  deck,  I  saw  the  captain  and  mate  convers- 
ing in  low  and  hurried  accents,  wMle  the  sailors  were 
watching  the  dark,  portentous  clouds,  that  lay  piled 
up  against  the  horizon,  gilded  by  the  last  rays  of  the 
sun,  which  made  their  darkness  seem  still  blacker. 
The  wind,  which  had  been  directly  in  our  favor,  now 
tacked  to  the  opposite  quarter,  and  was  blowing  with 
great  fury,  which  increased  before  midnight  to  a  per- 
fect hurricane.     Our  vessel,  with  its  closely-reefed 
sails,  flew  over  the  mountain  waves,  like  a  bird  before 
the  storm.     For  two  days  and  two  nights  the  storm 
continued,  and  our  vessel  seemed  as  a  mere  play- 
thing of  the  waves.     On  the  third  morning  it  became 
almost  unmanageable,  and  we   had  Mttle  hope  of 
reaching  land  in  safety ;   but,  as  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  white  cUfifs  of  England,  the  storm  subsided, 
and  our  hopes  again  rose.    Our  captain  tried  hard  to 
reach  our  point  of   destination,  but  aU  his  efforts 
were  fruitless,  as  the  ship  was  almost  a  wreck.    Giv- 
ing up  this  point,  therefore,  he  succeeded  in  reaching 
the  little  port  of  PiU,  about  four  miles  from  Bristol, 
where  we  landed  in  safety.     I  shall  never  forget  the 
emotion  of  joy  which  thriUed  my  heart  when  I  found 
myself  once  more  on  land ;    and  I  presume  there 
were  none  on  board  who  did  not,  in  some  degree, 


SAILS  FOR  THE  PENINSULA.  37 

share  the  feeling.  From  Pill  we  proceeded  to  Bris- 
tol, where  we  remained  a  short  time.  We  enjoyed 
our  stay  in  Bristol  very  much,  as  there  were  many 
things  that  were  new  to  us  to  attract  our  attention, 
and  we  were  not  as  closely  watched  as  we  had  been 
in  Ireland.  Our  pay,  while  in  England,  was  one 
and  sixpence  daily, — the  amount  being  increased, 
as  provisions  were  dearer  than  in  Ireland. 

From  Bristol  we  were  ordered  to  Plymouth,  to 
undergo  the  necessary  but  wearisome  task  of  being 
drilled, —  a  task  not  much  more  agreeable  to  our 
officers  than  to  ourselves.  It  would  have  indeed 
required  the  patience  of  a  Job  to  mould  those  raw 
recruits,  unaccustomed  to  confinement,  and  totally 
unused  to  that  subordination  so  positively  necessary 
in  an  army,  into  skilful  and  obedient  soldiers.  It 
was,  indeed,  a  tiresome  task  ;  and  it  was  with  no 
small  degree  of  pleasure  that  we  learned  that  our 
time  had  expired,  and  that  we  were  soon  to  embark 
for  the  Peninsula. 

The  day  at  length  arrived  when  we  were  actually 
to  sail.  The  last  preparations  had  been  made, —  the 
last  stores  taken  in.  Each  ship  (there  were  eleven 
in  the  whole)  received  its  living  load,  and  then, 
one  after  another,  their  white  sails  were  spread,  and 
soon  the  fast-receding  shores  of  England  seemed  but 
a  dim  line,  and  then  a  mere  speck  on  the  horizon.  It 
was  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1811,  that  we  bade 
our  long,  and  so  many  of  us  our  last  farewell,  to  the 
shores  of  old  England.     On  our  own  ship  there  were 


38        MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

twelve  hundred  of  us, —  a  jovial,  merry  set.     For 
the  first  fourteen  days  nothing  worthy  of  special  no- 
tice occurred,  but  then  an  accident  happened  which 
came  near  costing  us  all  our  lives.     It  is  the  custom, 
on  board  ships-of-war,  to  serve  out  every  day  spirit 
rations  to  the  men.     On  our  ship,  this  was  done  at 
eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning.     A  cask  of  liquor  was 
rolled  on  deck,  the  head  knocked  out,  and  the  officer 
whose  duty  it  was  served  out  to  each  of  the  mess  a 
measure  of  raw  spirit.    They  usually  came  up,  one  by 
one,  received  their  measure,  and  then  retired,  either 
to  drink  it  themselves  or  to  dispose  of  it  to  others, 
who  could  always  be  found  willing  to  purchase,  which 
was  often  done,  when  any  of  us  had  more  than  usual 
need  of  money.     On  the  morning  to  which  I  have 
alluded,  the  14th  of  January,  one  of  the  soldiers 
walked   up  to   the   cask  for  his    allowance  with  a 
lighted  pipe  in  his  mouth,  the  coal  from  which  he 
dropped  accidentally  in  the  Uquor.     Ahnost  in  a  mo- 
ment the  whole  deck  was  enveloped  in  flames.     The 
alarm  was  soon  given,  and  every  man  on  board  did 
his  utmost  to  extinguish  them  ;  but  the  large  quan- 
tity of  tar  and  other  combustibles  made  this  a  task 
not  easily  accomplished.     The  deck  was  soon  flooded 
with  water,  but  the  flames  leaped  up  the  ropes,  and 
caught  on  the  rigging.     In  spite  of  all  our  efforts, 
they  still  gained  ground,  and   so  rapidly  that  the 
most  daring  of  our  number  began  to  fear  that  we 
were  lost.     As  a  last  resource,  each  of  the  soldiers 
caught  their  blankets,  and  throwing  them  wet  on  the 


A   FIRE   AT   SEA.  39 

fire,  and  keeping  them  so,  it  was  at  length  extin- 
guished. When  this  was  completed,  we  gathered 
the  remains  of  our  charred  and  ruined  blankets,  and, 
throwing  them  into  the  sea,  we  retired  to  our  naked 
berths,  grateful  that,  though  suffering  with  cold,  our 
lives  had  been  spared.  It  has  often  been  my  lot,  in 
the  crowded  city,  to  witness  the  raging  flames,  as 
they  leaped  from  house  to  house,  carrying  ruin  and 
desolation  in  their  progress ;  I  have  gazed  on  the 
ashes  of  palaces,  beautiful  but  yesterday  in  their 
magnificence,  to  which  the  ruthless  torch  of  the  mid- 
night incendiary  had  been  applied  ;  and  I  have  often, 
often  been  startled  from  the  deep  sleep  of  night,  by 
that  fearful  cry,  which,  in  its  very  name,  is  the  token 
of  suffering  and  sorrow  ;  —  but  never  —  never  do  I 
remember  anything  that  thrilled  to  the  depths  of  my 
soul  like  that  cry  of  fire,  on  the  wild  waste  of 
waters,  where,  unless  it  could  be  subdued,  scarcely 
a  hope  remained  for  the  safety  of  those  twelve  hun- 
dred human  beings,  confined  in  the  ship's  narrow 
space.  On  land,  there  must  be  at  least  a  hope  of 
escape  ;  and  then  we  know  that  the  warm  sympathies 
of  active  friends  are  enlisted  in  the  sufferers'  behalf, 
and  that  all  that  man  can  do,  to  aid  or  save,  will  be 
done.  But  when,  far  away  on  the  sea,  the  red  flames 
are  seen  leaping  from  mast  to  mast,  no  summoning 
bell  tolls  out  its  warning  voice  on  the  midnight  air, 
—  no  friendly  crowds  rush  to  the  rescue  ;  but  the 
little  band  of  devoted  ones  on  board  must  toil  and 
labor,  with  all  that  energy  which  the  human  spirit 
4* 


40        MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES    o'NEIL. 

will  summon  up  when  life  or  death  hang  on  the  pass- 
ing moment,  until  the  die  is  cast.  Then,  if  all  is  at 
last  in  vain,  it  but  remains  to  choose  a  death  by  fire 
or  flood,  or,  too  often,  in  the  few  that  may  escape  by 
the  boats,  a  more  lingering,  but  not  less  to  be  dreaded 
fate,  is  met  in  death  by  starvation.  But  such  was 
not  our  destiny  ;  and  among  all  the  narrow  escapes 
which  it  has  been  my  lot  in  life  to  encounter,  there 
are  no  deliverances  I  remember  with  more  gratitude 
than  the  quenching  of  that  fire  on  board  our  man- 
of-war. 

In  referring  to  this  incident  of  my  life,  I  have  often 
wondered  that  a  custom  so  full  of  danger  as  that  of 
serving  spirit  out  daily  to  such  a  body  of  men  should 
be  continued.  The  frequent  accidents  to  which  I 
allude  are  but  a  very  small  part  of  the  evil ;  yet  even 
this  is  well  worthy  of  being  taken  into  consideration, 
when  we  remember  not  only  the  pecuniary  loss  in- 
volved, but  the  vast  amount  of  human  life  which  is 
thus  needlessly  sacrificed.  The  moral  evil  is  of  far 
greater  magnitude.  When  I  left  home,  I  had  never 
formed  the  habit  of  drinking, —  the  taste  of  liquor 
was  positively  disagreeable  to  me  ;  and  it  was  in  com- 
pliance with  this  custom  that  I  first  found  a  relish  for 
it.  I  can  recall  many,  who  now  fill  a  drunkard's 
grave,  who  might  trace  back  the  commencement  of 
this  sinful  and  ruinous  habit  to  the  same  practice.  It 
is  my  humble  opinion  that  much  of  the  disobedience 
and  disrespectful  language  from  the  men  might  be 
avoided,  and  consequently  many  of  the  punishments 


A   TERRIFIC    STORM.  41 

dispensed  with,  if  this  custom  were  wholly  discon- 
tinued. Besides,  is  it  not  encouraging  this  ruinous 
habit,  thus  to  place,  as  it  were,  the  national  seal 
upon  its  usefulness  and  necessity,  by  thus  furnishing 
it  to  those  employed,  and  especially  just  before  a  bat- 
tle ?  as  if  that  were  in  any  way  necessary  to  infuse 
a  true  spirit  of  courage !  It  is  much  to  be  hoped  that 
a  decided  reform  will  soon  be  effected  here ;  and 
that,  while  philanthropists  are  striving  with  such  ear- 
nestness to  do  away  with  much  of  the  corporal  pun- 
ishment formerly  in  vogue  in  both  army  and  navy, 
they  will  not  forget  the  exciting  cause  which  so  often 
operates  to  destroy  entirely  the  force  of  moral  re- 
straint, thus  rendering  physical  coercion  not  only 
advisable,  but  often  absolutely  necessary. 

While  passing  through  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  we 
encountered  a  terrific  storm,  which  entirely  scattered 
our  little  fleet.  Most  of  the  time,  since  leaving  home, 
we  had  remained  within  hailing  distance  of  each 
other,  messages  often  passing  and  repassing ;  but 
when  the  storm  burst  upon  us  with  so  much  fury, 
the  rest  of  the  ships  were  quickly  driven  away. 
Only  one  vessel  remained  in  sight.  It  was  the  small- 
est of  our  fleet,  and  we  watched  it  with  much  anxiety, 
as  we  could  plainly  see  that  it  had  undergone  serious 
injury.  It  was  on  the  evening  of  the  second  day  that 
we  heard  the  distant  booming  of  her  guns,  through 
the  wild  roar  of  the  waters,  announcing  their  peril- 
ous situation,  and  imploring,  if  possible,  aid.  But 
what  could  human  arm  avail,  in  a  time  like  this  1 


42       MELITARY  ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

Our  own  ship  lay  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves.  No 
boat  could  live  for  one  moment  in  those  foaming  and 
raging  waters ;  and  so,  with  aching  hearts,  we  were 
compelled  to  look  idly  on,  and  see  our  countrymen 
and  fellow-soldiers  about  to  be  engulfed  in  a  watery 
grave.  Night  closed  in ;  we  could  see  that  their  con- 
dition was  hopeless ;  and,  before  nine,  their  last  light 
was  extinguished,  nor  did  we  ever  hear  from  them 
again.  In  all  probability,  the  whole  crew  of  six 
hundred  men  were  lost. 

The  next  morning  the  sun  rose  bright  and  beauti- 
ful, and  the  moaning  waves  lashed  themselves  to  rest 
as  peacefully  as  though  their  bright  waters  hid  no 
dark  secrets,  to  be  veiled  from  human  view  until  the 
sea  shall  give  up  its  dead.  The  -wind  passed  into  a 
favorable  quarter,  and  the  gentle  breeze  soon  wafted 
us  on,  until  the  high  lands  of  Spain  rose  full  on  our 
view.  Accustomed  to  the  level  shores  of  Ireland,  I 
had  never  imagined  scenery  so  beautiful  as  that  which 
appeared  all  along  the  coast,  presenting  a  view  said 
to  be  the  finest  in  the  world.  Our  fleet,  slowly  col- 
lecting together,  now  rounded  the  cape,  and  we  soon 
found  ourselves  in  the  Bay  of  Gibraltar.  Tliis  bay  is 
eight  miles  long,  and  five  wide.  Every  eye  was  on 
the  alert  for  the  first  view  of  that  great  rock,  so 
deservedly  famous  in  English  history ;  and  we  soon 
saw  it,  rising,  as  it  does,  fifteen  hundred  feet  out  of 
the  sea,  and  extending  over  three  miles.  It  is  one 
of  the  strongest  fortifications  in  the  world.  It  ia 
owned  by  the  British  government. 


MONKEYS   AT   GIBRALTAR.  43 

As  our  fleet  dropped  their  ancliors  in  this  noble 
harbor,  we  were  welcomed  at  the  fort  by  martial 
salutes  and  loud  huzzas,  which  were  heartily  returned. 
It  was  with  much  pleasure  that  we  found  ourselves 
at  last  in  that  land  of  which  we  had  heard  so  much, 
and  where  we  hoped  to  witness,  and  participate  in, 
many  deeds  of  glory.  After  marching,  with  flying 
colors  and  beating  drums,  into  the  town,  we  were  at 
liberty  to  go  where  we  pleased ;  and  I  soon  found 
myself,  with  a  party  of  my  countrymen,  on  the  famous 
rock.  Rising  perpendicularly  out  of  the  sea,  it  slopes 
towards  the  shore,  and  is  level  for  a  few  feet  on  the 
top.  On  this  level  space  are  placed  the  cannon, 
which  command  the  whole  entrance  into  the  Medi- 
terranean. The  dim  outline  of  the  African  shore  is 
distinctly  Adsible  from  its  top.  We  were  much 
annoyed  by  the  monkeys,  that  inliabit  the  rock  in 
great  numbers.  They  are  said  to  come  over  from 
Africa,  by  a  subterranean  passage,  under  the  Straits. 
They  were  regarded  almost  as  sacred  by  the  inhabit- 
ants, and  a  fine  is  imposed  on  any  one  who  injures 
or  kills  them.  They  sometimes  attack  their  assail- 
ants with  stones,  but  oftener  prefer  stratagem  to 
valor,  —  running  rapidly  before  their  pursuers  until, 
by  a  sudden  turn  on  some  dizzy  edge,  they  secure  - 
themselves,  and  leave  their  pursuers  to  be  dashed  to 
pieces  on  the  rocks.  They  are  often  quite  trouble- 
some to  the  soldiers  and  sentries,  pelting  them  with 
stones,  and  always  ready  to  retaliate. 

Gibraltar  is  called  the  key  of  the  Mediterranean, 


44:       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

because  no  force  could  possibly  effect  an  entrance 
without  permission  from  the  British  government. 
They  have  now  mounted  there  over  eight  hundred 
guns,  and  are  intending  to  increase  the  number  to 
one  thousand.  The  English  territory  in  the  south  of 
Spain  is  about  four  miles  in  extent.  They  obtained 
possession  of  it  only  after  severe  struggles  ;  but  can 
probably  never  be  dispossessed  by  open  force. 

The  Sabbath  after  we  landed,  the  whole  company 
of  men  were  paraded  for  church.  We  were  all 
ordered  to  attend  the  service  of  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land. As  I  had  been  brought  up  a  strict  Catholic, 
and  as  there  was  a  church  of  that  persuasion  in  the 
place,  to  which  I  intended  going,  I  did  not  respond 
to  the  call,  but  remained  in  my  quarters.  I  had 
been  here  but  a  short  time,  when  the  sergeant  came 
in,  and  asked  why  I  did  not  go  to  church.  I  told 
him  I  could  not  attend  the  service  of  his  church 
while  there  was  one  of  my  own  denomination  in  the 
place.  He  replied  that  it  was  a  rule  of  the  army, 
and  I  must  submit  to  it.  But  I  still  declined  to  go, 
when  he  went  out  and  reported  to  the  adjutant  that 
I  had  refused  to  obey  orders.  The  adjutant  then 
came  in,  and  asked  me  the  same  question.  I  told  him 
'  that  I  was  not  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England, 
but  a  Catholic.  If  I  could  be  permitted,  I  would 
gladly  attend  my  own  church,  but  could  not  be  pres- 
ent at  the  service.  At  this  the  adjutant  was  very 
angry,  and  ordered  me  into  confinement.  Here  I 
had  leisure  to  reflect  on  the  probable  consequences 


A   FLOGGING^  4.7 

of  the  step  I  had  taken.  Punishment  of  some  kind 
was  certain;  and,  judging  from  the  angry  appear- 
ance and  words  of  the  adjutant,  I  certainly  had  no 
reason  to  think  it  would  be  a  light  one.  But  what 
right  has  England,  I  asked  myself,  to  compel  those 
who  fight  her  battles  to  worship  as  she  worships  ? 
My  conscience  told  me  that  she  had  none.  I  felt 
that  my  cause  was  just,  and  I  determined  to  perse- 
vere, whatever  might  be  the  result.  The  next  day 
I  was  summoned  before  a  court-martial,  tried,  and 
sentenced  to  receive  three  hundred  lashes  on  the 
succeeding  day.  As,  perhaps,  some  of  my  young 
readers  have  not  much  idea  of  this  punishment,  I  will 
describe  it  to  them. 

A  triangle  was  erected,  composed  of  three  poles, 
fastened  at  the  top  with  an  iron  bolt.  To  two  of 
these  the  legs  and  hands  of  the  sufferer  are  designed 
to  b^  fastened,  while  a  board  is  placed  across  for  the 
breast  to  lean  upon.  The  troops  were  then  marched 
out,  and  formed  a  large  hollow  square  around  the 
place  of  punishment.  I  was  then  brought  to  the 
place,  under  guard  of  a  file  of  soldiers,  commanded 
by  an  officer.  My  clothes  were  so  far  removed  as  to 
leave  me  naked  to  the  waist,  and  I  was  bound  to  the 
triangle.  Turning  to  the  first  soldier  on  the  file,  the 
officer  directed  that  he  should  proceed  to  duty.  He 
laid  aside  his  coat,  and  applied  twenty-five  lashes, 
jfith.  the  cat-o'-nine-tails,  to  my  back.  These  blows 
were  counted  by  the  officer.  After  twenty-five  had 
been  applied,  I  was  asked  if  I  would  give  up ;  I 
5 


48        MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

answered,  "No  !  "  The  blood  was  already  flowing 
freely  from  my  back,  yet  I  resolved  to  die  rather  than 
submit  to  what  appeared  to  me  so  unjust  a  require- 
ment. The  next  soldier  then  took  the  lash,  and 
struck  twenty-five  times.  Again  the  officer  asked  if 
I  would  yield,  and  received  the  same  reply ;  and  this 
was  continued  until  the  whole  three  hundred  had 
been  inflicted.  I  was  then  taken  down,  more  dead 
than  alive,  and  sent  to  the  hospital  to  be  cured  of  my 
wounds,  —  a  process  usuaUy  requiring  from  six  weeks 
to  three  months.  The  cat  —  the  instrument  with 
which  this  punishment  is  inflicted  —  is  composed  of 
nine  small  cords,  twisted  very  hard,  and  having  three 
knots  on  each  cord ;  sometimes  the  ends  of  these 
are  bound  with  wire.  The  whip  is  usually  about 
eighteen  inches  long,  and  the  handle  fifteen. 

As  soon  as  I  was  able,  I  ^vrote  to  his  Royal  ^Jigh- 
ness  the  Duke  of  York,  stating  my  case,  and  request- 
ing permission  for  those  who  preferred  attending 
their  own  churches  to  do  so.  I  was  much  gratified 
to  learn  that  his  Highness  took  the  matter  into  con- 
sideration; and,  soon  after,  sent  an  order  that  the 
soldiers  should  be  permitted  to  attend  church  where 
they  pleased.  I  have  always  had  the  consolation, 
when  looking  back  on  that  scene  of  severe  and  unjust 
suffering,  of  thinkiag  that  it  was  instrumental  in 
procuring  liberty  of  conscience  to  many  who  might 
never  have  enjoyed  it  without. 

I  remained  at  the  hospital  until  our  troops  were 
ordered  to  march,  which  was  only  three  or  four  weeks. 


SUFFERING.  49 

Of  course,  the  wounds  were  only  partially  healed,  and 
I  was  obliged  to  shoulder  my  knapsack  while  they 
were  still  raw  and  sore.  This  constant  irritation 
prevented  their  healing,  and  the  suffering  I  endured 
from  this  cause  I  considered  nearly  as  great  as  that 
from  the  punishment  itself. 


CHAPTER    II. 

Origin  of  the  War  in  the  Peninsula.  — >  Siege  of  Saragossa.  —  Murderous 
Character  of  the  War.  —  Success  of  the  French  in  Portugal.  —  Battle  of 
Eolica.  —  Battle  of  Vimiero.  —  Convention  of  Cintra.  —  The  French 
evacuate  Portugal.  —  Preparations  of  Napoleon  for  another  Campaign, 
—  He  subdues  the  Country,  and  enters  Madrid.  —  Address  to  the  Span- 
ish People.  —  Napoleon  recalled  by  the  War  with  Austria.  —  Soult  and 
Ney  intrusted  with  the  Command  of  the  French  Army  in  Spain. — 
Retreat  of  Sir  John  Moore.  —  Battle  of  Corunna.  —  Peath  of  Sir  John 
Moore.  —  The  Briti^  Army  sail  for  England. 

Before  entering  into  a  particular  account  of  the 
battles  in  which  I  was  myself  an  actor,  it  might  not 
be  uninteresting  to  my  readers  to  take  a  hasty  survey 
of  the  war  which  was  now  raging  in  the  Peninsula, 
and  the  causes  which  led  to  British  intervention.  In 
doing  this,  I  can,  of  course,  in  so  small  a  work,  only 
allude  to  its  principal  events,  and  relate  some  anec- 
dotes, interesting,  as  well  from  their  authenticity,  as 
from  the  patriotism  of  which  they  were  such  bright 
examples. 

Charles  IV.,  a  descendant  of  the  Spanish  Bour- 
bons, in  1807,  occupied  the  throne  of  Spain.  He 
was  feeble  in  mind,  impotent  in  action,  and  extremely 
dissolute  in  his  habits.  Writing  to  Napoleon,  he 
gives  an  account  of  himself  which  must  have  filled 
with  contempt  the  mind  of  the  hard-working  emperor 
for  the  imbecile  king  who  thus  disgraced  a  throne. 
"Every  day,"  says  he,  "winter  as  well  as  summer, 
I  go  out  to  shoot,  from  morning  till  noon.  I  then 
dine,  and  return  to  the  chase,  which  I  continue  till 


ORIGIN   OF   THE   PENINSULAR   WAR.  51 

t 

sunset.  Manuel  Godoy  then  gives  me  a  brief  account 
of  what  is  going  on,  and  I  go  to  bed,  to  recommence 
the  same  life  on  the  morrow."  His  wife,  Louisa, 
was  a  shameless  profligate.  She  had  selected,  from 
the  body-guard  of  the  king,  a  young  soldier,  named 
Godoy,  as  her  principal  favorite ;  and  had  freely  lav- 
ished on  him  both  wealth  and  honors.  He  was  known 
as  the  Prince  of  Peace.  A  favorite  of  the  king-,  as 
well  as  queen,  the  realm  was,  in  reality,  governed 
by  him.  Ferdinand,  Prince  of  the  Asturias,  and  heir 
to  the  throne,  hated  this  favorite.  "Weak,  unprinci- 
pled, and  ambitious,  unwilling  to  wait  until  the  crown 
should  become  his  by  inheritance,  it  is  said  that  he 
concerted  a  scheme  to  remove  both  his  parents  by 
poLSon.  He  was  arrested,  and  imprisoned.  Natural 
affection  was  entirely  extinct  in  the  bosoms  of  his 
parents.  Louisa,  speaking  of  her  son,  said^that  "  he 
had  a  mule's  head  and  a  tiger's  heart;"  and  history 
informs  us  that  if  injustice  is  done  here,  it  is  only  to 
the  tiger  and  mule.  Both  king  and  queen  did  all 
they  could  to  cover  his  name  with  obloquy,  and  pre- 
pare the  nation  for  his  execution.  But  the  popular 
voice  was  with  Ferdinand.  The  rule  of  the  base-born 
favorite  could  not  be  tolerated  by  the  Spanish  hidal- 
gos; and  the  nation,  groaning  under  the  burdens 
that  the  vices  and  misrule  of  Charles  had  brought 
upon  them,  looked  with  hope  to  the  youth,  whose 
very  abandonment  had  excited  an  interest  in  his 
favor.  From  the  depths  of  his  prison  he  wrote  to 
Napoleon,  imploring  his  aid,  and  requesting  an  alli- 


52   MHITART  ADVENTURES  OF  CHARLES  O'NEIL. 

ance  with  his  family.  Charles,  too,  invoked  the  as- 
sistance "  of  the  hero  destined  by  Providence  to  save 
Europe  and  support  thrones."  A  secret  treaty  was 
concluded  between  the  emperor  and  Charles,  whose 
object  was  nominally  the  conquest  of  Portugal ;  and 
thus  French  troops  were  brought  to  Madrid.  A 
judicial  investigation  was  held  on  the  charge  against 
Ferdinand,  which  ended  in  the  submission  of  that 
prince  to  his  parents.  But  the  intrigues  of  the  two 
parties  still  continued.  In  March,  1808,  hatred  of 
Godoy,  and  contempt  of  the  king,  had  increased  to 
such  a  degree,  that  the  populace  of  Madrid  could  no 
longer  be  controlled.  The  palace  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace  was  broken  open  and  sacked.  The  miserable 
favorite,  allowed  scarcely  a  moment's  warning  of  the 
coming  storm,  had  barely  time  to  conceal  himself 
beneath  a  pile  of  old  mats,  in  his  garret.  Here,  for 
thirty-six  hours,  he  lay,  shivering  with  terror  and 
suiTering.  Unable  longer  to  endure  the  pangs  of 
thirst,  he  crept  down  from  his  hiding-place,  was 
seen,  and  dragged  out  by  the  mob.  A  few  select 
troops  of  the  king  rushed  to  his  rescue ;  and,  half 
dead  with  fright  and  bruises,  he  was  thrown  into 
prison.  The  populace,  enraged  by  the  loss  of  their 
victim,  now  threatened  to  attack  the  palace.  Charles, 
alarmed  for  his  own  safety,  abdicated  in  favor  of 
Ferdinand,  and  that  prince  was  proclaimed  king,  amid 
the  greatest  rejoicings.  But  Charles  wrote  to  Napo- 
leon that  his  abdication  was  a  forced  one,  and  again 
implored  his  aid.     Soon  after,  determined  to  advo- 


ORIGIN   OF  THE  PENINSULAR  WAR.  53 

cate  his  cause  in  person,  he  went  to  Bayonne  to  meet 
the  emperor,  accompanied  by  Louisa  and  Godoy,  and, 
with  them,  his  two  younger  sons.  Ferdinand,  jealous 
of  his  father's  influence  with  Napoleon,  determined 
to  confront  him  there.  His  people  everywhere 
declared  against  this  measure.  They  cut  the  traces 
of  his  carriage;  they  threw  themselves  before  the 
horses,  imploring  him,  with  prayers  and  tears,  not  to 
desert  his  people.  But  Ferdinand  went  on.  The 
emperor  received  them  all  with  kindness.  In  a  pri- 
vate interview  with  him,  Charles,  Louisa,  and  Godoy, 
willingly  exchanged  their  rights  to  the  uneasy  crown 
of  Spain  for  a  luxurious  home  in  Italy,  where  money 
for  the  gratification  of  all  their  voluptuous  desires 
should  be  at  their  command.  Ferdinand  and  his  two 
brothers,  Carlos  and  Francisco,  were  not  so  easily 
persuaded  to  surrender  the  crown  of  their  ancestors. 
But  Napoleon's  iron  wiU  at  length  prevailed,  and  the 
three  brothers  remained  not  unwilling  prisoners  in 
the  castle  of  Yalencey.  The  throne  of  Spain  was 
now  vacant.  The  right  to  fill  it  was  assumed  by  the 
emperor,  in  virtue  of  the  cession  to  him,  by  Charles, 
of  his  rights.  The  council  of  Castile,  the  municipal- 
ity of  Madrid,  and  the  governing  junta,  in  obedience 
to  Napoleon's  dictate,  declared  that  their  choice  had 
fallen  upon  Joseph  Bonaparte,  King  of  Naples.  He 
was  already  on  his  way  to  Bayonne.  On  the  20th 
of  July  he  entered  Madrid ;  and,  on  the  24th,  he 
was  proclaimed  King  of  Spain  and  the  Indies. 
But,  if  the  rulers  of  Spain,  and  a  few  of  her  pusil- 


64       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

lanimous  nobles,  had  agreed  to  accept  a  king  of  Na- 
poleon's choice,  not  so  decided  the  great  body  of  the 
people.  They  everywhere  flew  to  arms.  To  ac- 
knowledge the  authority  of  the  self-constituted  gov- 
ernment, was  to  declare  one's  self  an  enemy  to  the 
nation.  Assassinations  at  Cadiz  and  Seville  were 
imitated  in  every  part  of  Spain.  Grenada  had  its 
murders  ;  Carthagena  rivalled  Cadiz  in  ruthless  cru- 
elty ;  and  Valencia  reeked  with  blood.  In  GaUicia, 
the  people  assembled  and  endeavored  to  oblige  their 
governor  to  declare  war  against  France.  Prompted 
by  prudence,  he  advised  them  to  delay.  Enraged  at 
this,  the  ferocious  soldiers  seized  him,  and,  planting 
their  weapons  in  the  earth,  tossed  him  on  their 
points,  and  left  him  to  die.  In  Asturias,  two  noble- 
men were  selected,  and  sent  to  implore  the  assistance 
of  England.  In  England,  the  greatest  enthusiasm 
prevailed.  The  universal  rising  of  the  Spanish  na- 
tion was  regarded  as  a  pledge  of  their  patriotism, 
and  aid  and  assistance  was  immediately  promised  and 
given.  Napoleon,  with  his  usual  promptness,  poured 
his  troops  into  Spain.  They  were  successful  in  many 
places ;  but  the  enemy,  always  forming  in  small  num- 
bers, if  easily  defeated,  soon  appeared  in  another 
place.  The  first  permanent  stand  was  made  at  Sara- 
gossa.  Palafox  had,  with  some  hastUy  gathered  fol- 
lowers, disputed  the  passage  of  the  Ebro,  and,  routed 
by  superior  force,  had  fallen  back  upon  this  city, 
whose  heroic  defence  presents  acts  of  daring  courage 
of  which  the  world's  history  scarcely  furnishes  a  par- 


SIEGE   OP   SARAGOSSA.  55 

allel.  It  was  regularly  invested  by  the  French, 
under  Lefebre  Desnouttes.  The  city  had  no  regular 
defences,  but  the  houses  were  very  strong,  being 
vaulted  so  as  to  be  nearly  fire-proof,  and  the  massy 
walls  of  the  convents  afforded  security  to  the  rifle- 
men who  filled  them.  The  French  troops  had  at  one 
time  nearly  gained  possession  of  the  town,  but,  for 
some  unknown  reasons,  they  fell  back.  This  gave 
confidence  to  the  besieged.  They  redoubled  their 
exertions.  All  shared  the  labor, —  women,  children, 
priests  and  friars,  labored  for  the  common  cause, — 
and  in  twenty-four  hours  the  defences  were  so  strength- 
ened that  the  place  was  prepared  to  stand  a  siege. 
But  the  next  morning  Palafox  imprudently  left  the 
city,  and  offered  battle  to  the  French.  He  was,  of 
course,  quickly  beaten  ;  but  succeeded  in  escaping, 
with  a  few  of  his  troops,  into  the  city.  A  small  hill 
rises  close  to  the  convent  of  St.  Joseph's,  called  Monte 
Torrero.  Some  stone  houses  on  this  hill  were  strongly 
fortified,  and  occupied  by  twelve  hundred  men.  This 
place  was  attacked  by  Lefebre,  and  taken  by  assault, 
on  the  27th  of  June,  1808.  The  convents  of  St. 
Joseph's  and  the  Capuchins  were  next  attacked  by  the 
French,  and,  after  a  long  resistance,  taken  by  storm. 
The  conmiand  of  the  besiegers  was  now  transferred  to 
General  Verdier.  He  continued  the  siege  during  the 
whole  of  July,  making  several  assaults  on  the  gates, 
from  which  he  was  repulsed,  with  great  loss.  The 
Spaniards,  having  received  a  reinforcement,  made  a 
sortie  to  retake  Monte  Torrero  ;  but  were  defeated, 


56        MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

their  commander  killed,  and  most  of  their  number 
left  dead.  On  the  2d  of  August,  the  enemy  opened 
a  dreadful  fire  on  the  town.  One  of  their  shells 
lighted  up<»n  the  powder  magazine,  which  was  in  the 
most  secure  part  of  the  city,  and  blew  it  up,  de- 
stroying many  houses  and  killing  numbers  of  the 
besieged.  The  carnage,  during  this  siege,  was  truly 
terrible.  Six  hundred  women  and  children  perished, 
and  above  forty  thousand  men  were  kiUed. 

It  was  at  this  place  that  the  act  of  female  heroism 
so  beautifully  celebrated  by  Byron  was  performed. 
An  assault  had  been  made  upon  one  of  the  gates, 
which  was  withstood  with  great  courage  by  the  be- 
sieged. At  the  battery  of  the  Portillo,  their  fire  had 
been  so  fatal,  that  but  one  artiUery-man  remained 
able  to  serve  the  gun.  He  seemed  to  bear  a  charmed 
life.  Though  shot  and  shell  fell  thick  and  fast  around 
him,  he  still  stood  unharmed,  and  rapidly  loaded  and 
discharged  his  gun.  At  length,  worn  out  by  his  own 
exertions,  his  strength  seemed  about  to  fail.  There 
was  little  time,  in  a  contest  like  this,  to  watch  for  the 
safety  of  others  ;  but  there  was  one  eye  near  which 
not  for  a  moment  lost  sight  of  him.  Augustina,  a 
girl  twenty-two  years  of  age,  had  followed  her  dar- 
ing lover  to  his  post.  She  would  not  leave  him 
there  alone,  although  every  moment  exposed  her  to 
share  his  death.  When  she  saw  his  strength  begin 
to  fail,  she  seized  a  cordial,  and  held  it  to  his  lips. 
In  the  very  act  of  receiving  it,  the  fatal  death-stroke 
came,  and  he  fell  dead  at  her  feet.     Not  for  a  mo- 


THE  MAID   OF   SARAGOSSA.  67 

ment  paused  the  daring  maid.  No  tear  fell  for  the 
slain.  She  lived  to  do  what  he  had  done.  Snatch- 
ing a  match  from  the  hand  of  a  dead  artillery-man, 
she  fired  off  the  gun,  and  swore  never  to  quit  it 
alive,  during  the  siege.  The  soldiers  and  citizens, 
who  had  begun  to  retire,  stimulated  by  so  heroic  an 
example,  rushed  to  the  battery  a  second  time,  and 
again  opened  a  tremendous  fire  upon  the  enemy. 
For  this  daring  act,  Augustina  received  a  small  shield 
of  honor,  and  had  the  word  "Saragossa"  embroi- 
dered on  the  sleeve  of  her  dress,  with  the  pay  of  an 
artillery-man.  Byron  thus  commemorates  this  her- 
oism, in  his  own  transcendent  manner  : 

"  The  Spanish  maid,  aroused. 
Hangs  on  the  willow  her  unstrung  guitar, 
And,  all  unsexed,  the  anlace  hath  espoused, 
Sung  the  loud  song,  and  dared  the  deeds  of  war. 
And  she,  whom  once  the  semblance  of  a  scar 
Appalled,  an  owlet's  'larum  filled  with  dread. 
Now  views  the  column-scattering  bayonet  jar, 
•  The  falchion  flash,  and  o'er  the  yet  warm  dead 

Stalks  with  Minerva's  step,  where  Mars  might  quake  to  tread. 

Ye  who  shall  marvel  when  you  hear  her  tale, 
0  !  had  you  known  her  in  the  softer  hour,  — 
Marked  her  black  eye,  that  mocks  her  coal-black  veil,  — 
Heard  her  light,  lively  tones  in  lady's  bower, — 
Seen  her  long  locks,  tllat  foil  the  painter's  power,  — 
Her  fairy  form,  with  more  than  female  grace,  — 
Scarce  would  you  deem  that  Saragossa's  tower 
Beheld  her  smile  in  danger's  Gorgon  face. 
Thin  the  closed  ranks,  and  lead  in  glory's  fearful  chase  ! 

Her  lovey  sinks  —  she  sheds  no  ill-timed  tear  ; 
Her  chief  is  slain  —  she  fills  his  fatal  post ; 
Her  fellows  flee  —  she  checks  their  base  career  ; 
The  foe  retires  —  she  heads  the  sallying  host. 


58       MILITARY  ADVENTUEES   OP   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

Who  can  appease  like  her  a  lover's  ghost  ? 
Who  can  avenge  so  well  a  leader's  fall  ? 
What  maid  retrieve,  when  man's  flushed  hope  is  lost? 
Who  hang  so  fiercely  on  the  flying  Gaul, 
Foiled  by  a  woman's  hand,  before  the  battered  wall ! 

On  the  4th  of  August,  the  French  stormed  the 
city,  and  penetrated  as  far  as  the  Corso,  or  public 
square.  Here  a  terrible  conflict  was  maintained. 
Every  inch  of  ground  was  manfully  contested ;  but 
the  enemy's  cavalry  was  irresistible,  and  the  be- 
sieged began  to  give  way.  AU  appeared  lost.  The 
French,  thinking  the  victory  gained,  began  to  plun- 
der. Seeing  this,  the  besieged  raUied,  and  attacked 
them.  They  succeeded  in  driving  the  enemy  back 
to  the  Corso.  They  also  set  fire  to  the  convent  of 
Francisco,  and  many  perished  in  its  conflagration. 
Night  now  came,  to  add  its  horrors  to  the  scene.  The 
fierce  contest  still  raged  on.  The  lunatic  asylum 
was  invaded,  and  soon  the  dread  cry  of  "Fire" 
mingled  with  the  incoherent  ravings  of  its  inmates. 
"  Here,"  says  one  writer,  "  were  to  be  seen  grinning 
maniacs,  shouting  with  hideous  joy,  and  mocking  the 
cries  of  the  wounded ;  there,  others,  with  seeming 
delight,  were  dabbhng  in  the  crimson  fluid  of  many 
a  brave  heart,  which  had  scarcely  ceased  to  beat. 
On  one  side,  young  and  lovely  women,  dressed  in  the 
fantastic  rigging  of  a  mind  diseased,  were  bearing 
away  headless  trunks  and  mutilated  limbs,  which  lay 
scattered  around  them,  while  the  unearthly  cries  of 
the  idiot  kept  up  a  hideous  concert  with  the  shouts 
of  the  infuriated  combatants.     In  short,  it  was  a 


DESPERATE    CONFLICT.  59 

scene  of  unmingled  horror,  too  fearful  for  the  mind 
to  dwell  upon."  After  a  severe  contest  and  dreadful 
carnage,  the  French  forced  their  way  into  the  Corso, 
in  the  very  centre  of  the  city,  and  before  night  were 
in  possession  of  one-half  of  it.  Lefebre  now  be- 
lieved that  he  had  effected  his  purpose,  and  required 
Palafox  to  surrender,  in  a  note  containing  only  these 
words:  "Headquarters,  St.  Engmcia, —  Capitula- 
tion." Equally  laconic  the  brave  Spaniard's  an- 
swer was  :  "  Headquarters,  Saragossa, —  War  to  the 
knife's  point." 

The  contest  which  was  now  earned  on  stands 
unparalleled.  One  side  of  the  Corso  was  held  by  the 
French  soldiery ;  the  opposite  was  in  possession  of 
the  Arragonese,  who  erected  batteries  at  the  end  of 
the  cross-streets,  within  a  few  paces  of  those  the 
French  had  thrown  up.  The  space  between  these 
was  covered  with  the  dead.  Next  day,  the  powder 
of  the  besieged  began  to  fail ;  but  even  this  dis- 
mayed them  not.  One  cry  broke  from  the  people, 
whenever  Palafox  came  among  them,  "  War  to  the 
knife! — no  capitulation."  The  night  was  coming 
on,  and  stiU  the  French  continued  their  impetuous 
onsets.  But  now  the  brother  of  Palafox  entered  the 
city  with  a  convoy  of  arms  and  ammunition,  and  a 
reinforcement  of  three  thousand  men.  This  succor 
was  as  unexpected  as  it  was  welcome,  and  raised  the 
desperate  courage  of  the  citizens  to  the  highest  pitch 
of  enthusiasm.  The  war  was  now  carried  on  from 
street  to  street,  and  even  from  room  to  room.  A 
6 


60       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

priest,  by  the  name  of  Santiago  Suss,  displayed  the 
most  undaunted  bravery,  fighting  at  the  head  of  the 
besieged,  and  cheering  and  consoling  the  wounded 
and  the  dying.  At  the  head  of  forty  chosen  men, 
he  succeeded  in  procuring  a  supply  of  powder  for  the 
town,  and,  by  united  stratagem  and  courage,  effected 
its  entrance,  even  through  the  French  lines.  This 
murderous  contest  was  continued  for  eleven  success- 
ive days  and  nights, —  more,  indeed,  by  night  than 
by  day,  for  it  was  almost  certain  death  to  appear  by 
daylight  within  reach  of  houses  occupied  by  the  other 
party.  But,  concealed  by  the  darkness  of  the  night, 
they  frequently  dashed  across  the  street,  to  attack 
each  other's  batteries ;  and  the  battle,  commenced 
there,  was  often  carried  into  the  houses  beyond,  from 
room  to  room,  and  from  floor  to  floor.  As  if  not 
enough  of  suffering  had  accompanied  this  memorable 
siege,  a  new  scourge  came  to  add  its  horrors  to  the 
scene.  Pestilence,  with  all  its  accumulated  terrors, 
burst  upon  the  doomed  city.  Numbers  of  putrescent 
bodies,  in  various  stages  of  decomposition,  were  strewed 
thickly  around  the  spot  where  the  death-struggle  was 
still  going  on.  The  air  was  impregnated  with  the 
pestiferous  miasm  of  festering  mortality ;  and  this, 
too,  in  a'climate  like  Spain,  and  in  the  month  of 
August !  This  evil  must  be  removed, — but  how  ? 
Certain  death  would  have  been  the  penalty  of  any 
Arragonese  who  should  attempt  it.  The  only  rem- 
edy was  to  tie  ropes  to  the  French  prisoners,  and, 
pushing  them  forward  amid  the  dead  and  dying, 


ANECDOTE.  61 

compel  them  to  remove  the  bodies,  and  bring  them 
away  for  interment.  Even  for  this  ofl&ce,  as  neces- 
sary to  one  party  as  the  other,  there  was  no  truce  ; 
only  the  prisoners  were  better  secured,  by  the  com- 
passion of  their  countrymen,  from  the  fire. 

From  day  to  day,  this  heroic  defence  was  kept  up, 
with  unremitting  obstinacy.  In  vain  breaches  were 
made  and  stormed ;  the  besiegers  were  constantly 
repulsed.  At  last  Verdier  received  orders  to  retire ; 
and  the  French,  after  reducing  the  city  almost  to 
ashes,  were  compelled  to  abandon  their  attacks,  and 
retreat. 

Meanwhile,  all  over  Spain  the  contest  was  contin- 
ued, and  everywhere  with  the  most  unsparing  cru- 
elty. Her  purest  and  noblest  sons  often  fell  victims 
to  private  malice.  "  No  one's  Ufe,"  says  one  au- 
thor, "was  worth  a  week's  purchase."  One  anec- 
dote may  serve  as  an  example  to  illustrate  the  spirit 
of  the  times. 

It  was  night.  The  rays  of  the  fuU  moon  shed 
their  beautiful  light  on  the  hills  of  the  Sierra  Morena. 
On  one  of  these  hills  lay  a  small  division  of  the  pa- 
triotic army.  Its  chief  was  a  dark,  fierce-looking 
man,  in  whose  bosom  the  spirit  of  human  kindness 
seemed  extinct  forever.  A  brigand,  who  had  long 
dealt  in  deeds  of  death,  he  had  placed  himself  with- 
out the  pale  even  of  the  laws  of  Spain.  But,  when 
the  war  commenced,  he  had  offered  his  own  services 
and  that  of  his  men  against  the  French,  and  had  been 
accepted.     On  this  night  he  sat,  wrapped  in  his  huge 


62       MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

cloak,  beside  the  decaying  watch-fire,  seemingly  deep 
in  thought.  Near  him  lay  a  prisoner  on  the  grass, 
with  the  knotted  cords  so  firmly  bound  around  his 
limbs  that  the  black  blood  seemed  every  moment 
ready  to  burst  from  its  enclosure.  He  might  have 
groaned  aloud  in  his  agony,  had  not  the  pride  of  his 
nation,  — for  he,  too,  was  a  Spaniard, —  and  his  own 
deep  courage,  prevented.  His  crime  was,  that,  yield- 
ing to  the  promptings  of  humanity,  he  had  shown 
kindness  to  a  wounded  French  officer,  and  had  thus 
drawn  upon  himself  suspicion  of  favoring  their  cause. 
Short  trial  was  needed,  in  those  days,  to  doom  a  man 
to  death ;  and,  with  the  morning's  dawn,  the  brave 
Murillo  was  informed  that  he  must  die. 

With  closed  eyes  and  a  calm  countenance,  his 
heart  was  yet  filled  with  agony,  as  he  remembered 
his  desolated  home  and  his  defenceless  Httle  ones. 
Suddenly,  a  light  footstep  was  heard  in  the  wood 
adjoining.     The   sentinel   sprang   to   his   feet,  and 
demanded,  "  Who  goes  there  ? "    A  boy,  over  whose 
youthful  brow   scarce   twelve  summers  could  have 
passed,  answered  the  summons.     "I  would  speak 
with  your  chief,"  he  said.     The  ruthless  man  raised 
his  head  as  the  boy  spoke  this  ;  and,  not  waiting  for 
an  answer,  he  sprang  forward  and  stood  before  him. 
"  What  is  your  errand  here,  boy  ?  "  asked  the  brig- 
and.    "  I  come  a  suppliant  for  my  father's  life,"  he 
said,  pointing  to  the  prisoner  on  the  grass.     "He 
dies  with  the  morrow's  sun,"  was  the  unmoved  reply. 
"  Nay,  chieftain,  spare  him,  for  my  mother's  sake, 


ANECDOTE.  63 

and  for  her  children.  Let  him  live,  and,  if  you  must 
have  blood,  I  will  die  for  him;"  and  the  noble  boy- 
threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  the  chief,  and  looked  up 
imploringly  in  his  face.  "  He  is  so  good ! — You  smile : 
you  will  save  his  life ! "  "  You  speak  lightly  of  life , ' ' 
said  the  stern  man,  "  and  you  know  little  of  death. 
Are  you  willing  to  lose  one  of  your  ears,  for  your 
father's  sake?"  *' I  am,"  said  the  boy,  and  he 
removed  his  cap,  and  fixed  his  eyes  on  his  father's 
face.  Not  a  single  tear  fell,  as  the  severed  member, 
struck  off  by  the  chief's  hand,  lay  at  his  feet.  "  You 
bear  it  bravely,  boy ;  are  you  willing  to  lose  the 
other?"  "If  it  will  save  my  father's  life,"  was 
the  unfaltering  response.  A  moment  more,  and  the 
second  one  lay  beside  its  fellow,  while  yet  not  a 
groan,  or  word  expressive  of  suffering,  passed  the 
lips  of  the  noble  child.  "  Will  you  now  release  my 
father?"  he  asked,  as  he  turned  to  the  prostrate 
man,  whose  tears,  which  his  own  pain  had  no  power 
to  bring  forth,  fell  thick  and  fast,  as  he  witnessed  the 
bravery  of  his  unoffending  son.  For  a  moment  it 
seemed  that  a  feeling  of  compassion  had  penetrated 
the  flinty  soul  of  the  man  of  blood.  But,  if  the  spark 
had  fallen,  it  glimmered  but  a  moment  on  the  cold 
iron  of  that  heart,  and  then  went  out  forever. 
"  Before  I  release  him,  tell  me  who  taught  you  thus 
to  endure  suffering."  "My  father,"  answered  the 
boy.  "  Then  that  father  must  die  ;  for  Spain  is  not 
safe  while  he  lives  to  rear  such  children."  And 
6* 


64       MILITAEY  ADVENTUEES    OF    CHARLES    o'NEIL. 

before  the  morning  dawned  father  and  son  slept  their 
last  sleep. 

While  Lefebre  and  Verdier  were  prosecuting  the 
fatal  siege  of  Saragossa,  Marshal  Bessieres  was  pur- 
suing his  victorious  course  in  Castile,  compelling  one 
force  after  another  to  acknowledge  the  authority  of 
Joseph.  General  Duhesme  and  Marshal  Moncey,  in 
Catalonia,  met  with  varied  success; — repulsed  at 
Valencia  and  at  Gerona,  they  yet  met  with  enough 
good  fortune  to  maintain  their  reputation  as  general^. 
In  Andalusia,  the  French  army,  under  Dupont,  met 
with  serious  reverses.  At  Baylen,  eighteen  thousand 
men  laid  down  their  arms,  only  stipulating  that  they 
should  be  sent  to  France.  This  capitulation,  dis- 
graceful in  itself  to  the  French,  was  shamefully 
broken.  Eighty  of  the  officers  were  murdered,  at 
Lebrixa,  in  cold  blood  ;  armed  only  with  their 
swords,  they  kept  their  assassins  some  time  at  bay, 
and  succeeded  in  retreating  into  an  open  space  in  the 
town,  where  they  endeavored  to  defend  themselves  ; 
but,  a  fire  being  opened  upon  them  from  the  surround- 
ing houses,  the  last  of  these  unfortunate  men  were 
destroyed.  The  rest  of  the  troops  were  marched  to 
Cadiz,  and  many  died  on  the  road.  Those  who 
survived  the  march  were  treated  with  the  greatest 
indignity,  and  cast  into  the  hulks,  at  that  port.  Two 
years  afterwards,  a  few  hundreds  of  them  escaped, 
by  cutting  the  cables  of  their  prison-ship,  and  drift- 
ing in  a  storm  upon  a  lee  shore.  The  remainder 
were  sent  to  the  desert  island  of  Cabrera,  without 


FEENCH    SUCCESSES   IN   PORTUGAL.  65 

clothing,  without  provisions,  with  scarcely  any  water, 
and  there  died  by  hundreds.  It  is  related  that  some 
of  them  dug  several  feet  into  the  solid  stone  with  a 
single  knife,  in  search  of  water.  They  had  no 
shelter,  nor  was  there  any  means  of  providing  it. 
At  the  close  of  the  war,  when  returning  peace  caused 
an  exchange  of  prisoners,  only  a  few  hundred  of  all 
those  thousands  remained  alive.  This  victory  at 
Baylen  greatly  encouraged  the  Spanish  troops, 
whose  ardor  was  beginning  to  fail,  before  the  con- 
quering career  of  Bessieres,  and  the  disgust  and  ter- 
ror occasioned  by  the  murders  and  excesses  of  the 
populace.  When  the  news  of  the  capitulation 
reached  Madrid,  Joseph  called  a  council  of  war,  and 
it  was  decided  that  the  French  should  abandon 
Madrid,  and  retire  behind  the  Ebro. 

But  if  the  French  arms  had  met  with  a  reverse  in 
Spain,  it  was  compensated  by  their  success  in  Portu- 
gal. Junot,  at  the  head  of  twenty-five  thousand 
men,  marched  from  Alcantara  to  Lisbon.  At  an 
unfavorable  season  of  the  year,  and  encountering 
fatigue,  and  want,  and  tempests,  that  daily  thinned 
his  ranks,  until  of  his  whole  force  only  two  thousand 
remained,  he  yet  entered  Lisbon  victorious.  This 
city  contained  three  hundred  thousand  inhabitants, 
and  fourteen  thousand  regular  troops  were  collected 
there.  A  powerful  British  fleet  was  at  the  mouth  of 
the  harbor,  and  its  commander,  Sir  Sidney  Smith, 
offered  his  powerful  aid,  in  resisting  the  French ;  yet 
such  was  the  terror  that  Napoleon's  name  excited, 


66       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'neIL. 

and  such  the  hatred  of  their  rulers,  that  the  people 
of  Lisbon  yielded,  almost  without  a  struggle.  When 
Napoleon,  in  his  Moniteur,  made  the  startling  an- 
nouncement that  "  the  house  of  Braganza  had  ceased 
to  reign,"  the  feeble  prince-regent,  alarmed  for  his 
own  safety,  embarked,  with  his  whole  court,  and  sailed 
for  the  Brazils.  Junot  himself  was  created  Duke  of 
Abrantes,  and  made  governor-general  of  the  king- 
dom. He  exerted  himself  to  give  an  efficient 
government  to  Portugal ;  and  met  with  such  success, 
that  a  strong  French  interest  was  created,  and  steps 
were  actually  taken  to  have  Prince  Eugene  declared 
King  of  Portugal.  The  people  themselves,  and  the 
literary  men,  were  in  favor  of  this  step  ;  but  it  met 
with  the  strongest  opposition  from  the  priests,  and 
this  was  nurtured  and  fanned  into  a  flame  by  persons 
in  the  pay  of  the  English,  whose  whole  influence 
was  exerted  in  making  Napoleon's  name  and  nation 
as  odious  to  the  people^  as  possible.  Among  a 
people  so  superstitious  as  the  Portuguese,  the  monks 
would,  of  course,  exert  great  influence ;  and  many 
were  the  prodigies  which  appeared,  to  prove  that 
their  cause  was  under  the  protection  of  Heaven. 
Among  others,  was  that  of  an  egg,  marked  by  some 
chemical  process,  with  certain  letters,  which  were 
interpreted  to  indicate  the  coming  of  Don  Sebastian, 
King  of  Portugal.  This  adventurous  monarch,  years 
before,  earnestly  desirous  of  promoting  the  interests 
of  his  country,  and  of  the  Christian  religion,  had 
raised  a  large  army,  consisting  of  the  flower  of  his 


STATE  OF  AFFAIRS  IN  PORTUGAL.        67 

nobility,  and  the  choicest  troops  of  his  kingdom,  and 
crossed  the  Straits  into  Africa,  for  the  purpose  of 
waging  war  with  the  Moorish  king.  Young,  ardent 
and  inexperienced,  he  violated  every  dictate  of  pru- 
dence, by  marching  into  the  enemy's  country  to  meet 
an  army  compared  with  which  his  own  was  a  mere 
handful.  The  whole  of  his  army  perished,  and  his 
own  fate  was  never  known.  But,  as  his  body  was 
not  found  among  the  dead,  the  peasantry  of  Portu- 
gal, ardently  attached  to  their  king,  believed  that  he 
would  some  time  return,  and  dehver  his  country  from 
all  their  woes.  He  was  supposed  to  be  concealed 
in  a  secret  island,  waiting  the  destined  period,  in 
immortal  youth.  The  prophecy  of  the  egg  was, 
therefore,  believed ;  and  people,  even  of  the  higher 
classes,  were  often  seen  on  the  highest  points  of  the 
hills,  looking  towards  the  sea  with  earnest  gaze,  for 
the  appearance  of  the  island  where  their  -long-lost 
hero  was  detained. 

The  constant  efforts  of  the  English  and  the  priests 
at  length  had  their  effect,  in  arousing  the  Portuguese 
peasantry  into  action  ;  and  the  news  of  the  insurrec- 
tion in  Spain  added  new  fuel  to  the  flame.  The 
Spaniards  in  Portugal  immediately  rose  against  the 
French  ;  and  their  situation  would  have  become  dan- 
gerous in  the  extreme,  had  not  the  promptness  and 
dexterity  of  Junot  succeeded  in  averting  the  danger 
for  the  present.  Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  in  the 
Peninsula,  when  the  Enghsh  troops  made  their 
descent  into   Spain.      It  has  often   been  said  that 


68       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

England  was  moved  by  pure  patriotism,  or  by  a 
strong  desire  to  relieve  the  Spanish  nation,  in  being 
thus  prodigal  of  her  soldiers  and  treasures  ;  but 
her  hatred  to  Napoleon,  and  her  determination,  at 
all  hazards,  to  put  a  stop  to  his  growing  power, 
was,  in  all  probability,  the  real  motive  that  in- 
fluenced her  to  bestow  aid  upon  that  people. 

The  English  collected  their  army  of  nine  thousand 
in  Cork,  in  June,  1808.     Sir  Hugh  Dalrymple  had, 
nominally  the  chief  command  of  the  army,  and  Sir 
Harry  Burrard    the  second;  but  the  really  acting 
officers  were,   Sir  Arthur  WeUesley  and  Sir  John 
Moore.     These  troops  disembarked  at  the  Mondego 
river  on  the  first  of  August,  and  marching  along  the 
coast,  proceeded  to  Rolica,  where  they  determined 
to  give  battle  to  the  French.     Junot,  having  left  in 
Lisbon  a  sufficient  force  to  hold  the  revolutionary 
movement  in  check,  placed  himself  at  the  head  of 
his  army,  and  advanced  to  the  contest.     He  was  not, 
however,    present   at  the  battle   of   Eolico.      The 
French  troops  were  under  the  command  of  Generals 
Loison  and  Laborde.     Nearly  in  the  centre  of  the 
heights  of  Rolica  stands  an  old  Moorish  castle.    This, 
and  every  favorable  post  on  the  high  ground,  was 
occupied  by  detachments  of  the  French  army'.     It 
was  a  strong  position ;   but  Sir  Arthur,  anxious  to 
give  battle  before  the  two  divisions  of  the  French 
army  should  effect  a  junction,  decided  upon  an  im- 
mediate attack. 

It  was  morning,  and  a  cahn  and  quiet   beauty 


BATTLE   OP   ROLICA.  69 

seemed  to  linger  on  the  scene  of  the  impending 
conflict.  The  heights  of  Rolica,  though  steep  and 
difficult  of  access,  possess  few  of  the  sterner  and  more 
imposing  features  of  mountain  scenery.  The  heat  of 
summer  had  deprived  them  of  much  of  that  bright- 
ness of  verdure  common  in  a  colder  climate.  Here 
and  there  the  face  of  the  heights  was  indented  by 
deep  ravines,  worn  by  the  winter  torrents,  the  pre- 
cipitous banks  of  which  were  occasionally  covered 
with  wood,  and  below  extended  groves  of  the  cork- 
tree and  olive ;  while  Obidas,  with  its  ancient  walls 
and  fortress,  and  stupendous  aqueduct,  rose  in  the 
middle  distance.  In  the  east  Mount  Junto  reared 
its  lofty  summit,  while  on  the  west  lay  the  broad 
Atlantic.  And  this  was  the  battle-ground  that  was 
to  witness  the  first  outpouring  of  that  blood  which 
flowed  so  profusely,  on  both  sides,  during  the  progress 
of  this  long  and  desolating  war.  Sir  Arthur  had 
divided  his  army  into  three  columns,  of  which  he 
himself  commanded  the  centre,  Colonel  Trant  the 
right,  while  the  left,  directed  against  Loison,  was 
under  General  Ferguson.  The  centre  marched  against 
Laborde,  who  was  posted  on  the  elevated  plain.  This 
general,  perceiving,  at  a  glance,  that  his  position  was 
an  unfavorable  one,  evaded  the  danger  by  falling 
rapidly  back  to  the  heights  of  Zambugeria,  where  he 
could  only  be  approached  by  narrow  paths,  leading 
through  deep  ravines.  A  swarm  of  skirmishers, 
starting  forward,  soon  plunged  into  the  passes  ;  and, 
spreading  to  the  right  and  left,  won  their  way  among 


70       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

the  rocks  and  tangled  evergreens  that  overspread  the 
steep  ascent,  and  impeded  their  progress. 

"With  still  greater  dijfficulty  the  supporting  column 
followed,  their  formation  feeing  disordered  in  the 
confined  and  rugged  passes,  while  the  hoUows  echoed 
with  the  continual  roar  of  musketry,  and  the  shouts 
of  the  advancing  troops  were  loudly  answered  by  the 
enemy,  while  the  curling  smoke,  breaking  out  from 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  marked  the  progress  of 
the  assailants,  and  showed  how  stoutly  the  defence 
was  maintained.  The  right  of  the  29th  arrived  first 
at  the  top ;  and,  ere  it  could  form,  Col.  Lake  was 
killed,  and  a  French  company,  falling  on  their  flanks, 
broke  through,  carrying  with  them  fifty  or  sixty 
prisoners.  Thus  pressed,  this  regiment  fell  back, 
and,  re-forming  under  the  hill,  again  advanced  to  the 
charge.  At  the  same  time.  General  Ferguson  poured 
his  troops  upon  the  other  side  of  the  devoted  army. 
Laborde,  seeing  it  impossible  to  effect  a  junction  with 
Loison,  or  to  maintain  his  present  position,  fell  back, 
—  commencing  his  retreat  by  alternate  masses,  and 
protecting  his  movements  by  vigorous  charges  of 
cavalry,  —  and  halted  at  the  Quinta  de  Bugagleira, 
where  his  scattered  detachments  rejoined  him.  From 
this  place  he  marched  all  night,  to  gain  the  position 
of  Montechique,  leaving  three  guns  on  the  field  of 
battle,  and  the  road  to  Torres  Vedras  open  to  the 
victors.  The  French  lost  six  hundred  men,  killed 
and  wounded,  among  the  latter  of  which  was  the 
gaUant  Laborde  himself    Although  the  English  were 


BATTLE   OF   VIMIERO.  71 

victors  in  this  strife,  the  heroic  defence  of  the  French 
served  to  show  them  that  they  had  no  mean  enemy 
to  contend  with.  The  personal  enmity  to  Napoleon, 
and  the  violent  party  prejudices  in  England,  were  so 
great,  that  the  most  absurd  stories  as  to  the  want  of 
order  and  valor  in  his  troops  gained  immediate'  cre- 
dence there ;  and  many  of  the  English  army  believed 
that  they  had  but  to  show  themselves,  and  the  French 
would  fly.  The  bravery  with  which  their  attack 
was  met  was,  of  course,  a  matter  of  great  surprise, 
and  served  as  an  efficient  check  to  that  rashness 
which  this  erroneous  belief  had  engendered. 

Instead  of  pursuing  this  victory,  as  Wellesley'would 
have  done,  he  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  seashore,  to 
protect  the  landing  of  General  Anstruthers  and  his 
troops.  After  having  effected  a  junction  with  this 
general,  he  marched  to  Vimiero,  where  the  French, 
under  Junot,  arrived  on  the  21st  of  August.  The 
following  brief  and  vivid  sketch  of  this  combat  is 
taken  from  Alexander's  Life  of  Wellington  : 

"Vimiero  is  a  village,  pleasantly  situated  in  a 
gentle  and  quiet  valley,  through  which  flows  the 
small  river  of  Maceria.  Beyond,  and  to  the  westward 
and  northward  of  this  village,  rises  a  mountain, 
of  which  the  western  point  reaches  the  sea;  the 
eastern  is  separated  by  a  deep  ravine  from  the 
height,  over  which  passes  the  road  that  leads  from 
Lourinha  and  the  northward  to  Vimiero.  On  this 
mountain  were  posted  the  chief  part  of  the  infantry, 
with  eight  pieces  of  artillery.    General  Hill's  brigade 


72        MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

was  on  the  right,  and  Ferguson's  on  the  left,  having 
one  battalion  on  the  heights,  separated  from  them  by 
the  mountain.  Towards  the  east  and  south  of  the 
town  lay  a  mill,  wholly  commanded  by  the  mountain 
on  the  west  side,  and  commanding,  also,  the  sur- 
rounding ground  to  the  south  and  east,  on  which 
General  Fane  was  posted,  with  his  riflemen,  and  the 
50th  regiment,  and  General  Anstmthers'  brigade, 
with  the  artillery,  which  had  been  ordered  to  that 
position  during  the  night. 

"About  eight  o'clock  a  picket  of  the  enemy's 
horse  was  first  seen  on  the  heights,  toward  Lourinha ; 
and,  after  pushing  forward  his  scouts,  soon  appeared 
in  full  force,  with  the  evident  object  of  attacking  the 
British. 

"  Immediately  four  brigades,  from  the  mountains 
on  the  east,  moved  across  the  ravine  to  the  heights 
on  the  road  to  Lourinha,  with  three  pieces  of  cannon. 
They  were  fomied  with  their  right  resting  upon  these 
heights,  and  their  left  upon  a  ravine  which  separates 
the  heights  from  a  range  at  Maceria.  On  these 
heights  were  the  Portuguese  troops,  and  they  were 
supported  by  General  Crawford's  brigade. 

"  The  enemy  opened  his  attack,  in  strong  columns, 
against  the  entire  body  of  troops  on  this  height.  On 
the  left  they  advanced,  through  the  fire  of  the  rifle- 
men, close  up  to  the  50th  regiment,  until  they  were 
checked  and  driven  back  by  that  regiment,  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet.  The  French  infantry,  in  these 
divisions,  was  commanded  by  Laborde,  Loison,  and 


BATTLE   OF   VIMIERO.  73 

Kellerman,  and  the  horse  by  General  Margaron. 
Their  attack  was  simultaneous,  and  Hke  that  of  a  man 
determined  to  conquer  or  to  perish.  Besides  the  con- 
flict on  the  heights,  the  battle  raged  with  equal  fury 
on  every  part  of  the  field.  The  possession  of  the 
road  leading  into  Vimiero  was  disputed  with  perse- 
vering resolution,  and  especially  where  a  strong  body 
had  been  posted  in  the  church-yard,  to  prevent  the 
enemy  forcing  an  entrance  into  the  town.  Up  to 
this  period  of  the  battle  the  British  had  received  and 
repulsed  the  attacks  of  the  enemy,  acting  altogether 
on  the  defensive.  But  now  they  were  attacked  in 
flank  by  General  Ackland's  brigade,  as  it  advanced 
to  its  position  on  the  height  to  the  left,  while  a  brisk 
cannonade  was  kept  up  by  the  artillery  on  those 
heights. 

"  The  brunt  of  the  attack  was  continued  on  the 
brigade  of  General  Fane,  but  was  bravely  repulsed  at 
aU  points.  Once,  as  the  Frepch  retired  in  confusion, 
a  regiment  of  light  dragoons  pursued  them  with  so 
little  precaution,  that  they  were  suddenly  set  upon 
by  the  heavy  cavalry  of  Margaron,  and  cut  to  pieces, 
with  their  gallant  colonel  at  their  head. 

"No  less  desperate  was  the  encounter  between 
Kellerman' s  column  of  reserve  and  the  gallant  43d, 
in  their  conflict  for  the  vineyard  adjoining  the  church. 
The  advanced  companies  were  at  first  driven  back, 
with  great  slaughter ;  but,  again  rallying  upon  the 
next  ranks,  they  threw  themselves  upon  the  head  of 
a  French  column  in  a  ravine,  and,  charging  with  the 


74        MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

bayonet,  put  them  to  the  rout.     At  length  the  vigor 
of  the  enemy's  attack  ceased.     They,  pressed  on  all 
sides  by  the  British,  had  lost  thirteen  cannons  and  a 
great  number  of  prisoners ;  but  were  still  enabled  to 
retire  without  confusion,  owing  to  the  protection  of 
their  numerous  cavalry.     An  incident  occurred  in 
this  battle,  so  highly  characteristic  of  Highland  cour- 
age, that  I   cannot  refrain  from  quoting  it.     It  is 
very  common  for  the  wounded  to  cheer  their  more 
fortunate  comrades,  as  they  pass  on  to  the  attack.    A 
man  named  Stewart,  the  piper  of  the  71st  regiment, 
was  wounded  in  the  thigh,  very  severely,  at  an  early 
period  of  the  action,  and  refused  to  be  removed.    He 
sat  upon  a  bank,  playing  martial  airs,  during  the 
remainder  of  the  battle.     As  a  party  of  his  comrades 
were  passing,  he  addressed  them  thus:  'Weel,  my 
brave  lads,  I  can  gang  na  langer  wi'  ye  a  fightin*, 
but  ye  shall  na  want  music'     On  his  return  home, 
the  Highland  Society  voted  him  a  handsome  set  of 
pipes,  with  a  flattering  inscription  engraved  on  them." 
The  total  loss  of  the  French  was  estimated  at 
three  thousand.     Soon  after  the  battle.  General  Kel- 
lerman  presented  himself,  with  a  strong  body  of 
cavalry,  at  the  outposts,  and  demanded  an  interview 
with  the  English  general.     The  result  of  this  inter- 
view was  the  famous  convention  of  Cintra.     By  it,  it 
was  stipulated  that  Portugal  should  be  delivered  up 
to  the  British  army,  and  the  French  should  evacuate 
it,  with  arms  and  baggage,  but  not  as  prisoners  of 
war ;  that  the  French  should  be  transported,  by  the 


THE  FRENCH  EVACUATE  PORTUGAL.       75 

British,  into  their  own  country ;  that  the  army  should 
carry  with  it  all  its  artillery,  cavalry,  arms,  and  am- 
munition, and  the  soldiers  all  their  private  property. 
It  also  provided  that  the  Portuguese  who  had  favored 
the  French  party  should  not  be  punished. 

According  to  the  terms  of  this  convention,  Junot, 
on  the  2d  of  September,  yielded  the  government  of 
the  capital.  This  suspension  of  military  rule  was 
followed  by  a  wild  scene  of  anarchy  and  confusion. 
The  police  disbanded  of  their  own  accord,  and  crime 
stalked  abroad  on  every  side.  Lisbon  was  illumin- 
ated with  thousands  of  nttle  lamps,  at  their  depart- 
ure ;  and  such  was  the  state  of  the  public  mind,  that 
Sir  John  Hope  was  obliged  to  make  many  and  severe 
examples,  before  he  succeeded  in  restoring  order. 

On  the  13th,  the  Duke  of  Abrantes  embarked, 
■with  his  staff;  and  by  the  30th  of  September  only 
the  garrisons  of  Elvas  and  Almeida  remained  in  Por- 
tugal. This  convention  was  very  unpopular  in  Eng- 
land. The  whole  voice  of  the  press  was  against  it ; 
and  such  was  the  state  of  feeling,  that  Sir  Harry 
Burrard  and  Sir  Hugh  Dalrymple  were  both  recalled, 
to  present  themselves  before  a  court  of  inquiry,  insti- 
tuted for  the  occasion.  After  a  minute  investigation, 
these  generals  were  declared  innocent,  but  it  was 
judged  best  to  detain  them  at  home. 

Having  seen  Portugal  under  the  control  of  the 
English,  let  us  return  to  the  affairs  of  Spain.     Im- 
mediately after  the  battle  of  Baylen,  which  induced 
the  retreat  of  Joseph  from  Madrid,  Ferdinand  was 
7* 


76       MILITARY  ADVENTURES  OP   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

again  declared  king,  and  the  pomp  and  rejoicings 
attendant  on  this  event  put  an  end  to  all  business, 
except  that  of  intrigue.  The  French  were  every- 
where looked  upon  by  the  Spanish  as  a  conquered 
foe,  and  they  spent  their  time  in  the  pageant  of 
military  triumphs  and  rejoicings,  as  though  the  enemy 
had  already  fled.  From  this  dream  of  fancied  secu- 
rity Palafox  was  at  length  awakened  by  the  appear- 
ance of  a  French  corps,  which  retook  Tudela,  and 
pushed  on  almost  to  Saragossa.  He  appealed  to  the 
governing  junta  for  aid  and  assistance.  Much  time 
was  lost  in  intrigue  and  disputes,  but  at  length  the 
army  was  organized  by  appointing  La  Pena  and 
Llamas  to  the  charge.  To  supply  the  place  usually 
occupied  by  the  commander-in-chief,  a  board  of 
general  officers  was  projected,  of  which  Castanos 
should  be  chief;  but  when  some  difficulty  arose  as 
to  who  the  other  members  should  be,  this  plan  was 
deferred,  with  the  remark,  that  "when  the  enemy 
was  driven  across  the  frontier,  Castanos  would  have 
leisure  to  take  his  seat."  Of  the  state  of  the  Span- 
ish forces  at  this  time,  Napier  says,  "  The  idea  of  a 
defeat,  the  possibility  of  a  failure,  had  never  entered 
their  minds.  The  government,  evincing  neither  ap- 
prehension, nor  activity,  nor  foresight,  were  con- 
tented if  the  people  believed  the  daily  falsehoods 
propagated  relative  to  the  enemy;  and  the  people 
were  content  to  be  so  deceived.  The  armies  were 
neglected,  even  to  nakedness ;  the  soldier's  constancy 
under  privations  cruelly  abused  ;  disunion,  cupidity, 


ENERGY   OF   THE   FRENCH.  77 

incapacity,  prevailed  in  the  higher  orders  ;  patriotic 
ardor  was  visibly  abating  among  the  lower  classes ; 
the  rulers  were  grasping,  improvident,  and  boasting ; 
the  enemy  powerful,  the  people  insubordinate.  Such 
were  the  allies  whom  the  British  found  on  their 
arrival  in  Spain. ' '  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley  had  returned 
to  Ireland,  and  the  chief 'command  was  now  given  to 
Sir  John  Moore.  This  general,  with  the  greatest 
celerity,  marched  his  troops  to  the  Spanish  frontier, 
by  the  way  of  Almieda,  having  overcome  almost 
insurmountable  obstacles,  arising  from  the  state  of 
affairs  in  Spain.  Sir  David  Baird,  with  a  force  of 
ten  thousand  men,  landed  at  Corunna,  and  also  ad- 
vanced to  the  contest ;  but  they  soon  found  that  they 
were  to  meet  an  enemy  with  whom  they  were  little 
able  to  cope. 

Napoleon,  with  that  energy  so  often  displayed  by 
him,  when  the  greatness  of  the  occasion  required  its 
exercise,  collected,  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of 
time,  an  immense  army  of  two  hundred  thousand 
men,  most  of  them  veterans  who  had  partaken  of 
the  glories  of  Jena,  Austerlitz,  and  Friedland. 
These  were  divided  by  the  emperor  into  eight  parts, 
called  "  corps  d'armee."  At  the  head  of  each  of 
them  was  placed  one  of  his  old  and  tried  generals, — 
veterans  on  whom  he  could  rely.  The  very  names 
of  Victor,  Bessieres,  Moncey,  Lefebre,  Mortier, 
Ney,  St.  Cyr,  and  Junot,  speak  volumes  for  the 
character  of  the  army. 

These  troops  were  excited  to  the  highest  pitch  of 


78       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

enthusiasm,  by  the  emperor's  address,  as  he  passed 
through  Paris,  promising  that  he  would  head  them 
in  person,  to  drive  the  hideous  leopard  into  the  sea. 
"What  were  the  scattered  and  divided  troops  of  the 
Spaniards,  to  contend  with  such  a  force  ?  The  grand 
French  army  reached  Vittoria  almost  without  an  in- 
terruption. Blake  was  in  position  at  Villarcayo,  the 
Asturians  were  close  at  hand,  Komana  at  Bilboa,  and 
the  Estremadurans  at  Burgos.  With  more  valor  than 
discretion,  Blake  made  an  attack  upon  Tornosa. 
The  enemy  pretended  to  retreat.  Blake,  flushed 
with  his  apparent  success,  pursued  them  with  avid- 
ity, when  he  suddenly  came  before  twenty-five  thou-* 
sand  men,  under  the  Duke  of  Dantzic,  and  was 
furiously  assailed.  Blake,  after  a  gallant  defence, 
was  obliged  to  retreat,  in  great  confusion,  upon  Bil- 
boa. He  rallied,  however,  and  was  again  in  the  field 
in  a  few  days,  fought  a  brave  action  with  Villate,  and 
was  this  time  successful.  With  the  vain-glory  of  his 
nation,  he  next  attacked  the  strong  city  of  Bilboa. 
Here,  Marshal  Victor  gained  a  signal  success,  Blake 
losing  two  of  his  generals,  and  many  of  his  men. 
Romana,  who  had  joined  Blake,  renewed  the  action, 
with  his  veterans.  They  were  made  prisoners,  but 
their  brave  chief  escaped  to  the  mountains.  Napo- 
leon himself  now  left  Bayonne,  and  directed  his 
course  into  Spain.  Only  one  day  sufiiced  for  his 
arrival  into  Vittoria.  At  the  gates  of  the  city,  a 
large  procession,  headed  by  the  civil  and  military 
chiefs,  met  him,  and  wished  to  escort  him  to  a  splen- 


THE   PASS   OP   SOMOSIERRA.  79 

did  house  prepared  for  his  reception  ;  but  they  were 
destined  to  a  disappointment.  Napoleon  was  there, 
not  for  pomp  or  show,  but  to  direct,  with  his  genius, 
the  march  of  that  army  which  he  had  raised.  Jump- 
ing from  his  horse,  he  entered  the  first  small  inn  he 
observed,  and  calling  for  his  maps,  and  a  report  of 
the  situation  of  the  armies  on  both  sides,  proceeded 
to  arrange  the  plan  of  his  campaign.  By  daylight 
the  next  morning,  his  forces  were  in  motion.  The 
hastily  levied  troops  of  the  Conde  de  Belvidere,  him- 
self a  youth  of  only  twenty  years,  were  opposed  to 
him.  These  were  routed,  with  great  slaughter, — one 
whole  battalion,  composed  of  the  students  of  Sala- 
manca and  Lecon,  fell  to  a  man. 

The  army  of  the  centre,  under  the  conmiand  of 
Castanos,  which  was  composed  of  fifty  thousand  men, 
with  forty  pieces  of  cannon,  was  totally  routed  at 
Tudela,  by  the  French,  under  Lasnes  and  Ney  ;  and 
now  but  one  stronghold  remained  to  the  Spaniards, 
between  the  enemy  and  Madrid.  This  was  the  pass 
of  the  Somosierra.  Here  the  Spanish  army,  under 
St.  Juan,  had  posted  their  force.  Sixteen  pieces  of 
artillery,  planted  in  the  neck  of  the  pass,  swept  the 
road  along  the  whole  ascent,  which  was  exceedingly 
steep  and  favorable  for  the  defence.  The  Spanish 
troops  were  disposed  in  lines,  one  above  another ; 
and  when  the  French  came  on  to  the  contest,  they 
warmly  returned  their  fire,  and  stood  their  ground. 
As  yet,  the  grand  battery  had  not  opened  its  fire. 
This  was  waiting  for  the  approach  of  the  centre,  under 


80 


MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nBIL. 


Napoleon  himself.     And  now  Napoleon,  seeing  that 
his  troops  were  not  advancing,  rode  slowly  into  the 
foot  of  the  pass.     The  lofty  mountain  towered  above 
him.     Around  its  top  hung  a  heavy  fog,  mingled  with 
the   curhng   smoke   that  was   ascending  from  the 
mouth  of  all  those  cannon,  rendering  every  object 
indistinct  in  the  distance.     Silently  he  gazed  up  the 
mountain.      A  sudden  thought  strikes   him.      His 
practised   eye   has   discerned,  in  a  moment,  what 
course   to   pursue.      Turning   to   his   brave  PoHsh 
lancers,  he  orders  them  to  charge  up  the  cause- 
way, and  take  the  battery.     They  dashed  onward. 
As  they  did  so,  the  guns  were  turned  full  upon  them, 
and  their  front  ranks  were  levelled  to  the  earth ;  but, 
ei;e  they  could  reload,  the  Poles,  nothing  daunted' 
sprang  over  their  dying  comrades,  and  before  the 
thick  smoke,  which  enveloped  them  as  a  cloud,  had 
dispersed,  they  rushed,  sword  in  hand,  upon  the  sol- 
diers,   and,  cutting   down  the   gunners,    possessed 
themselves  of  the  whole  Spanish  battery.    The  panic 
became  general.     The  Spaniards  fled,  leaving  arms, 
ammunition,  and  baggage,  to  the  enemy,  and  the 
road  open  to  Madrid.     Meanwhile,  this  city  was  in 
a  state  of  anarchy  seldom  equaUed.     A  multitude  of 
peasants   had  entered  the  place.     The   pavements 
were  taken  up,  the  streets  barricaded,  and  the  houses 
pierced.     They  demanded   arms    and   ammunition. 
These  were  supplied  them.     Then  they  pretended 
that  sand  had  been  mixed  with  the  powder  furnished. 
The  Marquis  of  Perales,  an  old  and  worthy  gentle-    . 


NAPOLEON  BEFORE  MADRID.  81 

man,  was  accused  of  the  deed.  The  mob  rushed  to 
his  house.  They  had  no  regard  for  age.  They 
seized  him  by  his  silvery  hair,  and,  dragging  him 
down  the  steps,  drew  him  through  the  streets  until 
life  was  extinct.  For  eight  days  the  mob  held  pos- 
session of  the  city.  No  man  was  safe  ;  none  dared 
assume  authority,  or  even  offer  advice.  Murder, 
and  lust,  and  rapine,  and  cruelty,  stalked  fearlessly 
through  the  streets.  On  the  morning  of  the  ninth, 
far  away  on  the  hills  to  the  north-west,  appeared  a 
large  body  of  cavalry,  like  a  dark  cloud  overhanging 
the  troubled  city.  At  noon,  the  resistless  emperor 
sat  down  before  the  gates  of  Madrid,  and  summoned 
the  city  to  surrender.  Calmness  and  quiet  reigned 
in  the  French  camp,  but  Madrid  was  struggling  like 
a  wild  beast  in  the  toils.  Napoleon  had  no  wish  to 
destroy  the  capital  of  his  brother's  kingdom,  but  he 
was  not  to  be  trifled  with.  At  midnight,  a  second 
summons  was  sent.  It  was  answered  by  an  equivo- 
cal reply,  and  responded  to  by  the  roar  of  cannon 
and  the  onset  of  the  soldiery.  This  was  an  appeal 
not  to  be  resisted.  Madrid  was  in  no  state  to  stand 
a  siege.  At  noon,  two  ofl&cers,  in  Spanish  uniform, 
and  bearing  a  flag  of  truce,  were  observed  approach- 
ing the  French  headquarters.  They  came  to  demand 
a  suspension  of  arms,  necessary,  they  said,  to  per- 
suade the  people  to  surrender.  It  was  granted,  and 
they  returned  to  the  city,  with  Napoleon's  message. 
Before  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  Madrid  must  sur- 
render, or  perish.     Dissensions  arose,  but  the  voice 


82       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

of  prudence  prevailed,  and  the  capital  yielded.  Na- 
poleon was  wise  ;  he  had  no  wish  to  goad  a  people 
ah-eady  incensed  to  fury.  The  strictest  discipline 
was  maintained,  and  a  soldier  of  his  own  guard  was 
shot  for  having  stolen  a  watch.  Shops  were  re- 
opened, public  amusements  recommenced,  and  all 
was  quiet.  In  six  short  weeks  every  Spanish  army 
was  dissipated.  From  St.  Sebastian  to  the  Asturias, 
from  the  Asturias  to  Talavera,  from  Talavera  to  the 
gates  of  Saragossa,  all  was  submission,  and  beyond 
that  boundary  all  was  apathy  or  dread. 

An  assemblage  of  the  nobles,  the  clergy,  the  corpo- 
rations, and  the  tribunals,  of  Madrid,  now  waited 
on  Napoleon  at  his  headquarters,  and  presented  an 
address,  in  which  they  expressed  their  desire  to  have 
Joseph  return  among  them.  Napoleon's  reply  was 
an  exposition  of  what  he  had  done  and  intended  doing 
for  Spain.  Could  the  people  but  have  yielded  their 
prejudices,  and  submitted  to  his  wise  plans,  what  seas 
of  tears  and  blood,  what  degradation  and  confusion, 
might  have  been  spared  to  poor,  unhappy  Spain  ! 

"  I  accept,"  said  he,  *'  the  sentiments  of  the  town 
of  Madrid.  I  regret  the  misfortunes  that  have  be- 
fallen it,  and  I  hold  it  as  a  particular  good  fortune, 
that  I  am  enabled  to  spare  that  city,  and  save  it  yet 
greater  misfortunes.  I  have  hastened  to  take  meas- 
ures to  tranquillize  all  classes  of  citizens,  knowing 
well  that  to  all  people  and  men  uncertainty  is  intol- 
erable. 

"  I  have  preserved  the  religious  orders,  but  I  have 


ADDRESS   TO   THE   SPANISH   PEOPLE.  83 

restrained  the  number  of  monks ;  no  sane  person 
can  doubt  that  they  are  too  numerous.  Those  who 
are  truly  called  to  this  vocation,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
will  remain  in  the  convents  ;  those  who  have  lightly, 
or  for  worldly  motives,  adopted  it,  will  have  their 
existence  secured  among  the  secular  ecclesiastics, 
from  the  surplus  of  the  convents. 

*'  I  have  provided  for  the  wants  of  the  most  inter- 
esting and  useful  of  the  clergy,  the  parish  priests. 

"I  have  abolished  that  tribunal  against  which  Eu- 
rope and  the  age  alike  exclaimed.  Priests  ought  to 
guide  consciences,  but  they  should  not  exercise  any 
exterior  or  corporal  jurisdiction  over  men. 

**  I  have  taken  the  satisfaction  which  was  due  to 
myself  and  to  my  nation,  and  the  part  of  vengeance 
is  completed.  Ten  of  the  principal  criminals  bend 
their  heads  before  her ;  but  for  all  others  there  is 
absolute  and  entire  pardon. 

*'I  have  suppressed  the  rights  usurped  by  the 
nobles  during  ciAil  wars,  when  the  kings  have  been 
too  often  obliged  to  abandon  their  own  rights,  to 
purchase  tranquillity  and  the  repose  of  the  people. 

"  I  have  suppressed  the  feudal  rights,  and  every 
person  can  now  establish  inns,  mills,  ovens,  weirs, 
and  fisheries,  and  give  good  play  to  their  industry, 
only  observing  the  laws  and  customs  of  the  place. 
The  self-love,  the  riches,  and  the  prosperity,  of  a  small 
number  of  men,  were  more  hurtful  to  your  agricul- 
ture than  the  heats  of  the  dog-days. 

"As  there  is  but  one  God,  there  should  be  in  one 
8 


84       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

estate  but  one  justice  ;  wherefore  all  the  f)articular 
jurisdictions  have  been  usurped,  and,  being  contrary 
to  the  national  rights,  I  have  destroyed  them.  I  have 
also  made  known  to  all  persons  that  which  each  can 
have  to  fear,  and  that  which  they  may  hope  for. 

"  The  English  armies  I  will  drive  from  the  Penin- 
sula. Saragossa,  Valencia,  Seville,  shall  be  reduced, 
either  by  persuasion  or  by  force  of  arms. 

"There  is  no  obstacle  capable  of  retarding,  for 
any  length  of  time,  my  will ;  but  that  which  is  above 
my  power  is  to  constitute  the  Spaniards  a  nation, 
under  the  orders  of  a  king,  if  they  continue  to  be 
imbued  with  divisions,  and  hatred  towards  France, 
such  as  the  English  partisans  and  the  enemies  of  the 
continent  have  instilled  into  them.  I  cannot  estab- 
lish a  nation,  a  king,  and  Spanish  independence,  if 
that  king  is  not  sure  of  the  afifection  and  fidehty  of 
his  subjects. 

"  The  Bourbons  can  never  reign  again  in  Europe. 
The  divisions  in  the  royal  family  were  concerted  by 
the  English.  It  was  not  either  King  Charles  or  his 
favorite,  but  the  Duke  of  Infantado,  the  instrument 
of  England,  that  was  upon  the  point  of  overturning 
the  throne.  The  papers  recently  found  in  his  house 
prove  this.  It  was  the  preponderance  of  England 
that  they  wished  to  establish  in  Spain.  Insensate 
project !  which  would  have  produced  a  long  war  with- 
out end,  and  caused  torrents  of  blood  to  be  shed. 

"  No  power  influenced  by  England  can  exist  upon 
this  continent.     If  any  desire  it,  their  desire  is  folly, 


ADDRESS  TO   THE   SPANISH   PEOPLE.  85 

and  sooner  or  later  will  ruin  them.  I  shall  be  obliged 
to  govern  Spain ;  and  it  will  be  easy  for  me  to  do  it, 
by  establishing  a  viceroy  in  each  province.  How- 
ever, I  will  not  refuse  to  concede  my  rights  of  con- 
quest to  the  king,  and  to  establish  him  in  Madrid, 
when  the  thirty  thousand  citizens  assemble  in  the 
churches,  and  on  the  holy  sacrament  take  an  oath, 
not  with  the  mouth  alone,  but  with  the  heart,  and 
without  any  Jesuitical  restriction,  '  to  be  true  to  the 
king, —  to  love  and  support  him.'  Let  the  priests 
from  the  pulpit  and  in  the  confessional,  the  tradesmen 
in  their  correspondence  and  in  their  discourses,  incul- 
cate these  sentiments  in  the  people ;  then  I  wiU 
rehnquish  my  rights  of  conquest,  and  I  will  place 
the  king  upon  the  throne,  and  I  will  take  a  pleasure 
in  showing  myself  the  faithful  friend  of  the  Span- 
iards. 

"  The  present  generation  may  differ  in  opinions. 
Too  many  passions  have  been  excited;  but  your 
descendants  wiU  bless  me,  as  the  regenerator  of  the 
nation.  They  will  mark  my  sojourn  among  you  as 
memorable  days,  and  from  those  days  they  will  date 
the  prosperity  of  Spain.  These  are  my  sentiments. 
Go,  consult  your  feUow-citizens  ;  choose  your  part, 
but  do  it  frankly,  and  exhibit  only  true  colors." 

The  ten  criminals  were  the  Dukes  of  Infantado, 
of  Hijah,  of  Mediniceli,  and  Ossuna  ;  Marquis  Santa 
Cruz,  Counts  Fernan,  Minez,  and  Altamira ;  Prince 
of  Castello  Franco,  Pedro  Cevallos,  and  the  Bishop 


86        MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

of  St.  Ander,  were  proscribed,  body  and  goods,  as 
traitors  to  France  and  Spain. 

Napoleon  now  made  dispositions  indicating  a  vast 
plan  of  operations.  But,  vast  as  his  plan  of  cam- 
paign appears,  it  was  not  beyond  the  emperor's 
means ;  for,  without  taking  into  consideration  his 
own  genius,  activity  and  vigor,  there  were  upon 
his  muster-rolls  above  three  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand  men  and  above  sixty  thousand  horse  ;  two 
hundred  pieces  of  field  artillery  followed  his  corps  to 
battle  ;  and  as  many  more  remained  in  reserve.  Of 
this  great  army,  however,  only  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  men  and  fifty  thousand  horses  were 
actually  under  arms  with  the  different  regiments, 
while  above  thirty  thousand  were  detached  or  in 
garrisons,  preserving  tranquillity  in  the  rear,  and 
guarding  the  communications  of  the  active  forces. 
The  remainder  were  in  hospitals.  Of  the  whole  host, 
two  hundred  and  thirteen  thousand  were  native 
Frenchmen,  the  residue  were  Poles,  Germans  and 
Italians  ;  thirty -five  thousand  men  and  five  thousand 
horses  were  available  for  fresh  enterprise,  without 
taking  a  single  man  from  the  lines  of  communication. 

The  fate  of  the  Peninsula  hung,  at  this  moment, 
evidently  upon  a  thread  ;  and  the  deliverance  of  that 
country  was  due  to  other  causes  than  the  courage, 
the  patriotism,  or  the  constancy,  of  the  Spaniards. 
The  strength  and  spirit  of  Spain  was  broken  ;  the 
enthusiasm  was  null,  except  in  a  few  places,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  civil  wars,  and  intestinal  divisions 


BONAPARTE   LEAVES    SPAIN.  St 

incited  by  the  monks  and  British  hirelings  ;  and  the 
emperor  was,  with  respect  to  the  Spaniards,  per- 
fectly master  of  operations.  He  was  in  the  centre 
of  the  country;  he  held  the  capital,  the  fortresses, 
the  command  of  the  great  lines  of  communication 
between  the  provinces ;  and  on  the  wide  military 
horizon  no  cloud  interrupted  his  view,  save  the  city 
of  Saragossa  on  the  one  side,  and  the  British  army 
on  the  other.  "  Sooner  or  later,"  said  the  emperor, 
and  with  truth,  '<  Saragossa  must  fall."  The  subju- 
gation of  Spain  seemed  inevitable,  when,  at  this 
instant,  the  Austrian  war  broke  out,  and  this  master- 
spirit was  suddenly  withdrawn.  England  then  put 
forth  all  her  vast  resources,  and  the  genius  and  vigor 
of  Sir  John  Moore,  aided,  most  fortunately,  by  the 
absence  of  Napoleon,  and  the  withdrawal  of  the 
strength  of  his  army  for  the  subjugation  of  the 
Peninsula ;  and  it  was  delivered  from  the  French,  after 
oceans  of  blood  had  been  spilt  and  millions  of  treasure 
wasted,  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  not  less  tyran- 
nical and  oppressive  English.  "But  through  what 
changes  of  fortune,  by  what  unexpected  helps,  by 
what  unlooked-for  events, — under  what  difficulties,  by 
whose  perseverance,  and  in  despite  of  whose  errors, 
— let  posterity  judge  ;  for  in  that  judgment,"  says 
Napier,  "  only  will  impartiality  and  justice  be 
found." 

Tidings    having    reached    the   emperor  that  the 
Austrian  army  was  about  to  invade  France,  he  re- 
called a  large  portion  of  his  army,  and  appointing 
8* 


88       MILITARY  ADVENTUEES   OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

his  brother  Joseph  to  be  his  lieutenant-general,  he 
allotted  separate  provinces  to  each  corps  d'armee, 
and  directing  the  imperial  guard  to  hasten  to  France, 
he  returned  to  Valladolid,  where  he  received  the 
addresses  of  the  nobles  and  deputies  of  Madrid,  and 
other  great  towns ;  and  after  three  days'  delay,  he 
departed  himself,  with  scarcely  any  escort,  but  with 
such  astonishing  speed  as  to  frustrate  the  designs 
which  some  Spaniards  had,  in  some  way,  formed 
against  his  person. 

The  general  command  of  the  French  army  in 
Spain  was  left  with  Soult,  assisted  by  Ney.  This 
gallant  general,  bearing  the  title  of  the  Duke  of 
Dalmatia,  commenced  his  pursuit  of  the  English 
army  with  a  vigor  that  marked  his  eager  desire  to 
finish  the  campaign  in  a  manner  suitable  to  its  bril- 
liant opening.  Sir  John  Moore  had  arrived  in  Sala- 
manca by  the  middle  of  November,  and  on  the  23d 
the  other  divisions  of  the  army  had  arrived  at  the 
stations  assigned  them.  Sir  David  Baird  had  already 
reported,  himself  at  Astorga,  when  Moore  received 
positive  information  that  the  French  had  entered 
Valladolid  in  great  force.  And  this  place  was  only 
three  days'  march  distant  from  the  British.  At  a 
glance,  the  great  mind  of  Moore  comprehended  the 
full  difficulty  of  his  critical  situation.  In  the  heart 
of  a  foreign  country,  unsupported  by  the  Spanish 
government,  his  army  wanting  the  very  necessaries 
of  life,  he  found  himself  obliged  to  commence  that 
retreat  in  winter,  over  mountains  covered  with  snow, 


RETREAT   OF   SIR  JOHN   MOORE.  89 

which  proved  so  fatal  to  the  British  army,  or  wait  to 
meet  the  French  troops,  flushed  with  victory,  and 
sustained  by  an  overwhelming  force.  In  vain  he 
appealed  to  the  junta  of  Salamanca  for  aid.  In  vain 
he  endeavored  to  arouse  the  spirit  of  patriotism, 
which  had  shone  forth  so  brightly  in  the  first  days 
of  the  insurrection.  Instead  of  aiding  him  either  to 
advance  or  retreat,  they  endeavored  to  direct  him 
what  course  to  pursue ;  and  painted,  with  true  Spanish 
pride  and  hyperbole,  in  glowing  colors,  what  their 
armies  had  done,  and  what  they  could  do.  His 
camp  was  therefore  struck,  and  he  retreated  through 
the  rocks  of  Gallicia,  closely  followed  by  the  pursu- 
ing army.  Whenever  the  advance  guards  of  the 
enemy  approached,  the  British  rallied  with  vigor, 
and  sustained  their  reputation  for  bravery  ;  but  they 
displayed  a  lamentable  want  of  discipline  in  all  other 
parts  of  their  conduct.  The  weather  was  tempestu- 
ous ;  the  roads  miserable ;  the  commissariat  was 
utterly  defective,  and  the  very  idea  that  they  were 
retreating  was  sufficient  to  crush  the  spirits  of  the 
soldiery.  At  Bembibre,  although  the  English  well 
knew  that  the  French  were  close  behind,  they  broke 
into  the  immense  wine-vaults  of  that  city.  All  effort 
by  their  officers  to  control  them  was  utterly  useless. 
Hundreds  became  so  inebriated  as  to  be  unable  to 
proceed,  and  Sir  John  Moore  was  obliged  to  proceed 
without  them.  Scarcely  had  the  reserve  marched 
out  of  the  village,  when  the  French  cavalry  appeared. 
In  a  moment  the  road  was  filled  with  the  miserable 


90       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

stragglers,  who  came  crowding  after  the  troops,  some 
with  shrieks  of  distress  and  wild  gestures,  others 
with  brutal  exclamations;  while  many,  overcome 
with  fear,  threw  away  their  arms,  and  those  who 
preserved  them  were  too  stupidly  intoxicated  to  fire, 
and  kept  reeling  to  and  fro,  ahke  insensible  to  their 
danger  and  disgrace.  The  enemy's  horsemen,  per- 
ceiving this,  bore  at  a  gallop  through  the  disorderly 
mob,  cutting  to  the  right  and  left  as  they  passed, 
and  riding  so  close  to  the  columns  that  the  infantry 
were  forced  to  halt  in  order  to  protect  them.  At 
Villa  Franca  even  greater  excesses  were  committed ; 
the  magazines  were  plundered,  the  bakers  driven 
away  from  the  ovens,  the  wine-stores  forced,  the 
doors  of  the  houses  were  broken,  and  the  scandalous 
insubordination  of  the  soldiers  was,  indeed,  a  disgrace 
to  the  army.  Moore  endeavored  to  arrest  this  dis- 
order, and  caused  one  man,  taken  in  the  act  of 
plundering  a  magazine,  to  be  hanged.  He  also 
endeavored  to  send  despatches  to  Sir  David  Baird, 
directing  him  to  Corunna,  instead  of  Vigo  ;  but  his 
messenger  became  drunk  and  lost  his  despatches,  and 
this  act  cost  the  lives  of  more  than  four  hundred 
men,  besides  a  vast  amount  of  suffering  to  the  rest 
of  the  army.  An  unusual  number  of  women  and 
children  had  been  allowed  to  accompany  the  army, 
and  their  sufferings  were,  indeed,  dreadful  to  witness. 
Clark,  in  his  history  of  the  war,  gives  a  heart-rend- 
ing account  of  the  horrors  of  this  retreat.  "  The 
mountains  were  now  covered  with  snow  ;  there  was 


RETREAT   OF    SIR   JOHN   MOORE.  91 

neither  provision  to  sustain  nature  nor  shelter  from 
the  rain  and  snow,  nor  fuel  for  fire  to  keep  the  vital 
heat  from  total  extinction,  nor  place  where  the  weary 
and  footsore  could  rest  for  a  single  hour  in  safety. 
The  soldiers,  barefooted,  harassed  and  weakened  by 
their  excesses,  were  dropping  to  the  rear  by  hundreds ; 
while  broken  carts,  dead  animals,  and  the  piteous 
appearance  of  women,  with  children,  struggling  or 
falling  exhausted  in  the  snow,  completed  the  dread- 
ful picture.  It  was  still  attempted  to  carry  forward 
•some  of  the  sick  and  wounded ; — the  beasts  that  drew 
them  failed  at  every  step,  and  they  were  left  to 
perish  amid  the  snows."  "  I  looked  around,"  says 
an  officer,  "  when  we  had  hardly  gained  the  highest 
point  of  those  slippery  precipices,  and  saw  the  rear 
of  the  army  winding  along  the  narrow  road.  I  saw 
their  way  marked  by  the  wretched  people,  who  lay 
on  all  sides,  expiring  from  fatigue  and  the  severity 
of  the  cold,  their  bodies  reddening  in  spots  the  white 
surface  of  the  ground."  A  Portuguese  bullock- 
driver,  who  had  served  the  English  from  the  first 
day  of  their  arrival,  was  seen  on  his  knees  amid  the 
snow,  dying,  in  the  attitude  and  act  of  prayer.  He 
had,  at  least,  the  consolations  of  religion,  in  his  dying 
hour.  But  the  English  soldiers  gave  utterance  to  far 
different  feelings,  in  their  last  moments.  Shame  and 
anger  mingled  with  their  groans  and  imprecations  on 
the  Spaniards,  who  had,  as  they  said,  betrayed  them. 
Mothers  found  their  babes  sometimes  frozen  in  their 
arms,  and  helpless  infants  were  seen  seeking  for 


92       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'neIL. 

nourishment  from  the  empty  breasts  of  their  dead 
mothers.  One  woman  was  taken  in  labor  upon  the 
mountain.  She  lay  down  at  the  turning  of  an  angle, 
rather  more  sheltered  than  the  rest  of  the  way 
from  the  icy  sleet  which  drifted  along  ;  there  she 
was  found  dead,  and  two  babes  which  she  had  brought 
forth  struggling  in  the  snow.  A  blanket  was  thrown 
over  her,  to  hide  her  from  sight, — the  only  burial  that 
could  be  afforded;  and  the  infants  were  given  in 
charge  to  a  woman  who  came  up  in  one  of  the  carts, 
little  likely,  as  it  was,  that  they  could  survive  such 
a  journey." 

Soult  hung  close  on  the  rear  of  this  unfortunate 
army,  and  pursued  them  until  they  reached  Corunna, 
on  the  12th  of  January.  As  the  morning  dawned,  the 
weary  and  unfortunate  general,  saddened  by  the 
dark  scenes  through  which  he  had  passed,  sensible 
that  the  soldiers  were  murmuring  at  their  retreat,  un- 
supported by  his  Spanish  allies,  and  well  aware  that 
rumor  and  envy  and  misunderstanding  would  be 
busy  with  his  name  in  his  own  native  land,  appeared 
on  the  heights  that  overhung  the  town.  With  eager 
and  anxious  gaze,  he  turned  to  the  harbor,  hoping  to 
perceive  there  his  fleet,  which  he  had  ordered  to  sail 
from  Vigo.  But  the  same  moody  fortune  which  had 
followed  him  during  his  whole  career  pursued  him 
here.  The  wintry  sun  looked  down  upon  the  foam- 
ing ocean,  and  only  the  vast  expanse  of  water  met 
his  view.  The  fleet,  detained  by  contrary  winds, 
was  nowhere  visible  ;  and  once  more  he  was  obliged 


DESTRUCTION   OF   MAGAZINES   AT    CORUNNA.         93 

to  halt  with  his  forces,  and  take  up  quarters.  The 
army  was  posted  on  a  low  ridge,  and  waited  for  the 
French  to  coine  up.  The  sadness  of  the  scene  was 
by  no  means  passed.  Here,  stored  in  Corunna,  was  a 
large  quantity  of  ammunition,  sent  over  from  Eng- 
land, and  for  the  want  of  which  both  the  Spanish 
and  English  forces  had  suffered,  and  which  Spanish 
idleness  and  improvidence  had  suffered  to  remain 
here  for  months,  unappropriated.  This  must  now  be 
destroyed,  or  fall  into  the  possession  of  the  enemy. 
Three  miles  from  the  town  were  piled  four  thousand 
barrels  of  powder  on  a  hill,  and  a  smaller  quantity 
at  some  distance  from  it.  On  the  morning  of  the 
13th,  the  inferior  magazine  blew  up,  with  a  terrible 
noise,  and  shook  the  houses  in  the  town  ;  but  when 
the  train  reached  the  great  store,  there  ensued  a 
crash  like  the  bursting  forth  of  a  volcano  ; — the  earth 
trembled  for  miles,  the  rocks  were  torn  from  their 
bases,  and  the  agitated  waters  rolled  the  vessels,  as 
in  a  storm ;  a  vast  column  of  smoke  arid  dust,  shoot- 
ing out  fiery  sparks  from  its  sides,  arose  perpen- 
dicularly and  slowly  to  a  great  height,  and  then  a 
shower  of  stones  and  fragments  of  all  kinds,  bursting 
out  of  it  with  a  roaring  sound,  killed  many  persons 
who  remained  too  near  the  spot.  Stillness,  shghtly 
interrupted  by  the  lashing  of  the  waves  on  the  shore, 
succeeded,  and  then  the  business  of  the  day  went 
on.  The  next  scene  was  a  sad  one.  All  the  horses 
of  the  army  were  collected  together,  and,  as  it  was 
impossible  to  embark  them  in  face  of  the  enemy,  they 


94       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   0  NEIL. 

were  ordered  to  be  shot.  These  poor  animals  would 
otherwise  have  been  distributed  among  the  French 
cavalry,  or  used  as  draft-horses. 

On  the  14th,  the  transports  from  Vigo  arrived. 
The  dismounted  cavalry,  the  sick  and  wounded,  the 
best  horses,  belonging  to  the  officers,  which  had  been 
saved,  and  fifty-two  pieces  of  artillery,  were  em- 
barked during  the  night,  only  retaining  twelve  guns 
on  shore,  ready  for  action.  And  now  the  closing 
scene  of  this  sad  drama  was  rapidly  approaching, 
giving  a  melancholy  but  graceful  termination  to  the 
campaign. 

On  the  night  of  the  15th,  everything  was  shipped 
that  was  destined  to  be  removed,  excepting  the  fight- 
ing men.  These  were  intending  to  embark,  as  soon 
as  the  darkness  should  permit  them  to  move  without 
being  perceived,  on  the  night  of  the  16th ;  but  in 
the  afternoon  the  French  troops  drew  up,  and  offered 
battle.  This  the  English  general  would  not  refuse, 
and  the  actimi  soon  became  general.  The  battle  was 
advancing,  with  varied  fortune,  when  Sir  John  Moore, 
who  was  earnestly  watching  the  result  of  the  battle 
in  the  village  of  Elvina,  received  his  death-wound. 
A  spent  cannon-baU  struck  him  on  his  breast.  The 
shock  threw  him  from  his  horse,  with  violence  ;  but 
he  rose  again,  in  a  sitting  posture,  his  countenance 
unchanged,  and  his  steadfast  eye  still  fixed  on  the 
regiments  before  him,  and  betraying  no  signs  of  pain. 
In  a  few  moments,  when  satisfied  that  his  troops  were 
gaining  ground,  his  countenance  brightened,  and  he 


PEATH  OF   SIR  JOHN   MOORE.  96 

suffered  himself  to  be  carried  to  the  rear.     Then  was 
seen  the  dreadful  nature  of  his  hurt.    The  shoulder  was 
shattered  to  pieces  ;  the  arm  was  hanging  by  .a  piece 
of  skin ;  the  ribs  over  the  heart  were  broken  and  bared 
of  flesh,  and  the  muscles  of  the  breast  torn  into  long 
strips,  which  were  interlaced  by  their  recoil  from  the 
dragging  shot.    As  the  soldiers  placed  him  in  a  blan- 
ket, his  sword  got  entangled,  and  the  hilt  entered  the 
wound.     Captain  Hardinge,  a  staff  officer,  who  was 
near^  attempted  to  take  it  off ;   but  the  dying  man 
stopped  him,  saying,  "  It  is  as  well  as  it  is  ;  I  had 
rather  it  should  go  out  of  the  field  with  me."     And 
in  that  manner,  so  becoming  to  a  soldier,  he  was 
borne  from  the  fight  by  his  devoted  men,  who  went 
up  the  hill  weeping  as  they  went.     The  blood  flowed 
fast,  and  the  torture  of  his  wound  was  great ;  yet, 
such  was  the  unshaken  firmness  of  his  mind,  that 
those  about  him  judged,  from  the  resolution  of  his 
countenance,  that  his  hurt  was  not  mortal,  and  said 
so  to  him.     He  looked  steadfastly  at  the  wound  for  a 
few  moments,  and  then  said,  "  No, —  I  feel  that  to 
be  impossible."     Several  times  he  caused  his  attend- 
ants to  turn  around,  that  he  might  behold  the  field 
of  battle ;  and,  when  the  firing  indicated  the  advance 
of  the  British,  he  discovered  his  satisfaction,  and  per- 
mitted his  bearers  to  proceed.     Being  brought  to  his 
lodgings,  the  surgeon  examined  his  wound,  but  there 
was  no  hope.     The  pain  increased,  and  he  spoke  with 
great  difficulty.     Addressing  an  old  friend,  he  said, 
"You  know  that  I  always  wished  to  die  this  way." 
9 


96       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   o'neIL. 

Again  he  asked  if  the  enemy  were  defeated  ;    and 
being  told  that  they  were,  observed,  "  It  is  a  great 
satisfaction  to  me  that  we  have  beaten  the  French  '' 
Once,  when  he  spoke  of  his  mother,  he  became  agi- 
tated.    It  was  the  only  time.     He  inquired  after  his 
Inends  and   officers  who  had  survived  the   battle 
and  did  not  even  now  forget  to  recommend  those 
whose  merit  entitled  them  to  promotion.    His  strength 
failed  fast ;    and  life  was  ahnost  extinct,  when  he 
exclaimed,  as  if  in  that  dying  hour  the  veil  of  the 
future  had  been  Hfted,  and  he  had  seen  the  baseness 
of  his  posthumous  calumniators,  "  I  hope  the  people 
of  England  will  be  satisfied ;    I  hope  my  countiy 
will  do  me  justice."     In  a  few  minutes  afterwards 
he  died,  and  his  corpse,  wrapped  in  a  mihtary  cloak 
was  interred  by  the  officei^  of  his  staff,  in  the  citadel 
of  Corunna.    The  guns  of  the  enemy  paid  his  funeral 
honors,  and  the  valiant  Duke  of  Dalmatia,  with  a 
charactenstic  nobleness,  raised  a  monument  to  his 
memory.     The  following  is  so  beautiful  and  touching 
a  description  of  his  burial,  that  we  cannot  refrain 
from  quoting  it,  even  though  it  may  be  familiar  to 
most  of  our  readers.     It  was  written  by  the  Rev 
Charles  Wolfe,  of  Dublin. 

"  Not  a  drum  was  heard  —  not  a  funeral  note  - 
As  his  corse  to  the  ramparts  we  hurried; 
Not  a  soldier  discharged  his  fai-ewell  shot  ' 
O'er  the  grave  where  our  hero  was  buried. 

"  We  buried  him  darkly,  at  dead  of  night. 
The  sods  with  our  bayonets  turning. 
By  the  struggling  moonbeams'  misty  light, 
^  And  the  lantern  dimly  burning. 


EESULT   OP   THE   BATTLE.  97 

«  No  useless  coffin  enclosed  his  breast. 

Nor  in  sheet  nor  in  shroud  we  wound  him; 
Bat  he  lay  like  a  warrior  taking  his  rest, 
With  his  martial  cloak  around  him. 

"  Few  and  short  were  the  prayers  we  said. 
And  we  spoke  not  a  word  of  sorrow; 
But  we  steadfastly  gazed  on  the  face  of  the  dead, 
And  bitterly  thought  of  the  morrow. 

*•  We  thought,  as  we  hollowed  his  narrow  bed. 
And  smoothed  down  his  lonely  pillow. 
That  the  foe  and  the  stranger  would  tread  o'er  hia  head, 
And  we  far  away  on  the  billow. 

*•  Lightly  they  '11  talk  of  the  spirit  that 's  gone. 
And  o'er  his  cold  ashes  upbraid  him; 
But  little  he  '11  reck,  if  they  let  him  sleep  on 
In  the  grave  where  a  Briton  has  laid  him- 

**  But  half  of  our  heavy  task  was  done. 

When  the  clock  struck  the  hour  for  retiring* 
And  we  heard  the  distant  and  random  gnin 
Of  the  enemy,  suddenly  firing. 

*'  Slowly  and  sadly  we  laid  him  down, 

From  the  field  of  his  fame,  fresh  and  gory; 
We  carved  not  a  line  —  we  raised  not  a  stone  — 
But  we  left  him  alone  with  his  glory." 

The  battle  was  continued  until  dark,  under  great 
disadvantages  on  the  part  of  the  French,  owing  to  the 
difficulty  they  experienced  in  dragging  their  heavy 
cannon  on  to  the  heights,  and  their  small  amount  of 
ammunition.  The  French  loss  has  been  estimated  at 
three  thousand,  and  the  British  at  eight  hundred ; 
but  the  loss  of  the  French  was  undoubtedly  exag- 
gerated. The  English  availed  themselves  of  the 
darkness  and  the  confusion  among  the  enemy  to 
embark  their  troops ;  and  so  complete  were  the  ar- 


98        MILITARY  ADVENTURES   O*"   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

rangements  of  Sir  John  Hope,  who  succeeded  to  the 
commaiid,  that  it  was  all  effected,  without  delay  or 
difficulty,  before  morning.  The  wounded  were  pro- 
vided for,  and  the  fleet,  although  fired  upon  by  the 
French,  sailed  on  the  17th  for  their  home  in  Eng- 
la,nd. 

But  their  trials  were  not  yet  closed.  It  was  Sir  John 
Moore's  intention  to  have  proceeded  to  Vigo,  that  he 
might  restore  order  before  he  sailed  for  England ; 
but  the  fleet  went  directly  home  from  Corunna,  and  a 
terrible  storm  scattered  it,  many  ships  were  wrecked, 
and  the  remainder,  driving  up  the  channel,  were  glad 
to  put  into  any  port.  The  soldiers  thus  thrown  on 
shore  were  spread  all  over  the  country.  Their  hag- 
gard appearance,  ragged  clothing,  and  dirty  accou- 
trements, struck  a  people  only  used  to  the  daintiness 
of  parade  with  surprise.  A  deadly  fever,  the  result 
of  anxiety  and  of  the  sudden  change  from  fatigue  to 
the  confinement  of  a  ship,  filled  the  hospitals  at 
every  port  with  officers  and  soldiers,  and  the  terrible 
state  of  the  army  was  the  all-absorbing  topic  of  con- 
versation. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Joseph  Bonaparte  again  King  of  Spain.  —  His  DifiBculties  with  Soult.  — 
Second  Siege  of  Saragossa.  —  Anothei*  English  Army,  under  Sir  Arthur 
Wellesley,  lands  at  Lisbon.  —  Battle  of  Talavera.  —  The  English  retire 
into  Portugal.  —  Siege  of  Gerona.  —  Piincipal  Events  of  the  Campaign 
of  1810.  —  The  English  Troops  make  a  Stand  at  Torres  Vedras.  — 
B«treat  of  Massena.  —  Siege  of  Cadiz.  —  Escape  of  French  Prisoners.  — 
Opening  of  the  Campaign  of  1811. 

Having  closed  the  history  of  this  unfortunate  army, 
let  us  now  return  to  Spain.  Joseph  had  returned,  a 
nominal  king,  to  Madrid.  More  than  twenty-six 
thousand  heads  of  families  had  come  forward,  of  their 
own  accord,  and  sworn,  by  the  host,  that  they  desired 
his  presence  amongst  them.  The  marshals,  under  his 
directions,  were  pursuing  the  conquest  of  Spain  with 
vigor.  Though  Joseph  was  nominally  lieutenant- 
general,  Soult  was  in  reality  at  the  head  of  opera- 
tions. A  modern  writer,  speaking  of  these  two 
commanders,  says  Soult  was  crippled  in  all  his  move- 
ments, his  sound  policy  neglected,  and  his  best  com- 
binations thwarted,  by  Joseph.  His  operations  in 
Andalusia  and  Estramadura,  and  the  firmness  with 
which  he  resisted  the  avarice  of  Joseph,  all  exhibited 
his  well-balanced  character.  In  Andalusia  he  firmly 
held  his  ground,  although  hedged  in  with  hostUe 
armies,  and  surrounded  by  an  insurgent  population, 
while  a  wide  territory  had  to  be  covered  with  his 

troops. 

9*  . 


100      MILITAET  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

Ejug  Joseph  could  not  comprehend  the  opera- 
tions of  such  a  mind  as  Soult's,  and  constantly  im- 
peded his  success.  When,  without  ruin  to  his  army, 
the  stubborn  marshal  could  yield  to  his  commands, 
he  did  ;  but  where  the  king's  projects  would  plunge 
him  into  irredeemable  errors,  he  openly  and  firmly 
withstood  them.  The  anger  and  threats  of  Joseph 
were  alike  in  vain.  The  inflexible  old  soldier  pro- 
fessed his  willingness  to  obey,  but  declared  he  would 
not,  with  his  eyes  open,  commit  a  great  mihtary 
blunder.  King  Joseph  would  despatch  loud  and  ve- 
hement complaints  to  Napoleon,  but  the  emperor 
knew  too  well  the  ability  of  Soult  to  heed  them.  Had 
the  latter  been  on  the  Spanish  throne,  the  country 
would  long  before  have  been  subdued,  and  the  French 
power  established. 

We  shall  not  enter  into  detail  of  all  the  operations 
in  Spain.  A  short  account  of  some  of  the  principal 
battles  we  will  give  ;  and,  as  we  have  already  de- 
tailed the  first  siege  of  Saragossa,  our  readers  may 
perhaps  Hke  to  know  the  final  fate  of  this  devoted 
city.  We  quote  from  Headley's  description  of  the 
second  siege." 

**  The  siege  at  Saragossa  had  been  successively 
under  the  command  of  Moncey  and  Junot.  The 
camp  was  filled  with  murmurs  and  complaints.  For 
nearly  a  month  they  had  environed  the  town  in  vain. 
Assault  after  assault  had  been  made  ;  and  from  the 
2d  of  January,  when  Junot  took  the  command,  till 
the  arrival  of  Lannes  in  the  latter  part  of  the  month, 


SECOND    SIEGE   OF    SARAGOSSA.  101 

every  night  had  been  distinguished  by  bloody  fights ; 
and  yet  the  city  remained  unconquered.  Lannes 
paid  no  heed  to  the  murmurs  and  complaints  around 
him,  but  immediately,  by  the  promptitude  and  en- 
ergy of  his  actions,  infused  courage  into  the  hearts 
of  the  desponding  soldiery.  The  decision  he  was 
always  wont  to  carry  into  battle  was  soon  "vdsible  in 
the  siege.  The  soldiers  poured  to  the  assault  with 
firmer  purpose,  and  fought  with  more  resolute  cour- 
age. The  apathy  which  had  settled  down  on  the 
army  was  dispelled.  New  life  was  given  to  every 
movement ;  and  on  the  27th,  amid  the  tolling  of  the 
tower-bell,  warning  the  people  to  the  defence,  a 
grand  assault  was  made,  and,  after  a  most  sanguin- 
ary conflict,  the  walls  of  the  town  were  carried,  and 
the  French  soldiers  fortified  themselves  in  the  con- 
vent at  St.  Joseph's.  Unyielding  to  the  last,  the 
brave  Saragossans  fought  on,  and,  amid  the  pealing 
of  the  tocsin,  rushed  up  to  the  very  mouths  of  the 
cannons,  and  perished  by  hundreds  and  by  thousands 
in  the  streets  of  the  city.  Every  house  was  a  fortress, 
and  around  its  walls  were  separate  battle-fields, 
where  deeds  of  frantic  valor  were  done.  Day  after 
day  did  these  single-handed  fights  continue,  while 
famine  and  pestilence  walked  the  city  at  noonday, 
and  slew  faster  than  the  swords  of  the  enemy.  The 
dead  lay  piled  up  in  every  street,  and  on  the  thick 
heaps  of  the  slain  the  living  mounted,  and  fought 
with  the  energy  of  despair  for  their  homes  and  their 
liberty.     In  the  midst  of  this  incessant  firing  by 


102      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   O'neIL. 

night  and  by  day,  and  hand  to  hand  fights  on  the 
bodies  of  the  slain,  ever  and  anon  a  mine  would 
explode,  blowing  the  living  and  dead,  friend  and 
foe,  together  in  the  air.     An  awful  sUence  would 
succeed  for  a  moment,  and  then,  over  the  groans  of 
the  dying,  would  ring  again  the  raUying  cry  of  the 
brave  inhabitants.     The  streets  ran  torrents  of  blood, 
and  the  stench  of  putrefied  bodies  loaded  the  air! 
Thus,  for  three  weeks,  did  the  fight  and  butchery  go 
on,  within  the  city  walls,  till  the  soldiers  grew  dis- 
pirited and  ready  to  give  up  the  hope  of  spoils,  if 
they  could  escape  the  ruin  that  encompassed  them. 
Yet  theirs  wa^  a  comfortable  lot  to  that  of  the  be- 
sieged.     Shut  up   in  the   ceUars  with  the  dead, 
pinched   with   famine,  while   the   pestilence  rioted 
without  mercy  and  without  resistance,  they  heard 
around  them  the  incessant  bursting  of  bombs,  and 
thunder  of  artillery,  and  explosions  of  mines,  and 
crash  of  faUing  houses,  tiU  the  city  shook,  night  and 
day,  as  within  the  grasp  of  an  earthquake.     Thou- 
sands feU  daily,  and  the  town  was  a  mass  of  ruins. 
Yet,  unconquered  and  apparently  unconquerable,  the 
inhabitants  stmggled  on.     Out  of  the  dens  they  had 
made  for  themselves  among  the  ruins,  and  from  the 
ceUars  where  there  were  more  dead  than  living,  men 
would  crawl  to  fight,  who  looked  more  like  spectres 
than  warriors.     Women  would  work  the  guns,  and, 
musket  in  hand,  advance  fearlessly  to  the  charge  ' 
and  hundreds  thus  fell,  fighting  for  their  homes  and 
their  firesides.     Amid  this  scene  of  devastation,— 


SECOND   SIEGE  OF  SARAGOSSA.  1Q3 

against  this  prolonged  and  almost  hopeless  struggle 
of  weeks, —  against  the  pestilence  that  had  appeared 
in  his  own  army,  and  was  mowing  down  his  own 
troops, —  and,  above  aU,  against  the  increased  mur- 
murs and  now  open  clamors  of  the  soldiers,  declaring 
that  the  siege  must  be  abandoned  till  reinforcements 
could  come  up, —  Lannes  remained  unshaken  and 
untiring.  The  incessant  roar  and  crash  around  him, 
the  fetid  air,  the  exhausting  toil,  the  carnage  and 
the  pestilence,  could  not  change  his  iron  wiU.  He 
had  decreed  that  Saragossa  —  which  had  heretofore 
baffled  every  attempt  to  take  it  —  should  fall.  At 
length,  by  a  vigorous  attempt,  he  took  the  convent 
of  St.  Laran,  in  the  suburbs  of  the  town,  and  planted 
his  artillery  there,  which  soon  levelled  the  city  around 
it  with  the  ground.  To  finish  this  work  of  destruc- 
tion by  one  grand  blow,  he  caused  six  mines  to  be 
run  under  the  main  street  of  the  city,  each  of  which 
was  charged  with  three  thousand  pounds  of  powder. 
But  before  the  time  appointed  for  their  explosion 
arrived,  the  town  capitulated.  The  historians  of  this 
siege  describe  the  appearance  of  the  city  and  its 
inhabitants,  after  the  surrender,  as  inconceivably  hor- 
rible. With  only  a  single  waU  between  them  and 
the  enemy's  trenches,  they  had  endured  a  siege  of 
nearly  two  months  by  forty  thousand  men,  and  con- 
tinued to  resist  after  famine  and  pestilence  began  to 
slay  faster  than  the  enemy.  Thirty  thousand  cannon- 
balls  and  sixty  thousand  bombs  had  fallen  in  the  city, 
and  fifty-four  thousand  of  the  inhabitants  had  per- 


104      MILITAKT  ADVENTDMS  OP   CHAELES  o'nhi,. 

ished.  Six  thousand  only  had  faUen  in  combat,  while 
torty-eight  thousand  had  been  the  prey  of  the  pesti- 
lence. After  the  town  had  capitulated,  but  twelve 
thousand  were  found  able  to  bear  arms,  and  they 
ooked  more  like  spectres  issuing  from  the  tomb  than 
UKe  livmg  warriors. 

"  Saragossa  was  taken ;  but  what  a  capture  '     As 
Lannes  rode  through  the  streets  at  the  head  of  his 
nctonous  army,  he  looked  only  on  a  heap  of  ruins, 
while  SIX  thousand  nnburied  corpses  lay  in  his  path. 
Nxteen  thousand  lay  sick,  while  on  the  living  fam- 
ine had  written  more  dreadful  characters  than  death 
had  traced  on  the  faUen.     Infants  lay  on  the  breasts 
of  their  dead  mothers,  striving  in  vain  to  draw  life 
from  bosoms  that  would  never  throb  again.     Attenu- 
ated forms,  with  haggard  faces  and  sunken  eyes  and 
cheeks,  wandered  around  among  the  dead  to  search 
lor  their  friends;  corpses,  bloated  with  famine,  lay 
stretched  across  the  threshold  of  their  dweUings,  and 
strong-hmbed  men  went  staggering  over  the  pave- 
mente,  weak  from  want  of  food,  or  struck  with  the 
pestilence.    Woe  wa^  in  every  street,  and  the  silence 
inthe  dwelhngs  wa^  more  eloquent  than  the  loudest 
ones  and  groans.     Death  and  famine  and  the  pesti- 
ence  had  been  there,  in  every  variety  of  form  and 
suffering.     But  the  divine  form  of  Liberty  had  been 
there  too,  walking  amid  those  mountains  «f  corpses 
and  rums  of  homes,  shedding  her  light  through  the 
subterranean  apartmenfe  of  the  wretched,  and!  with 
her  cheenng  voice,  animating  tie  thrice-conquered 


THE   ENGLISH   LAND   AT   LISBON.  106 

yet  still  unconquered,  to  another  effort,  and  blessing 
the  dying  as  they  prayed  for  their  beloved  city. 
But  she  was  at  last  compelled  to  take  her  departure, 
and  the  bravest  city  of  modem  Europe  sunk  in  bond- 
age. Still  her  example  lives,  and  shall  live  to  the 
end  of  time,  nerving  the  patriot  to  strike  and  suffer 
for  his  home  and  freedom,  and  teaching  man  every- 
where how  to  die  in  defending  the  right.  A  wreath 
of  glory  surrounds  the  brow  of  Saragossa,  fadeless  as 
the  memory  of  her  brave  defenders.  Before  their 
achievements, —  the  moral  grandeur  of  their  firm 
struggle,  and  the  depth  and  intensity  of  their  suffer- 
ings, —  the  bravery  and  perseverance  of  the  French 
sink  into  forgetfulness.  Yet  theirs  was  no  ordinary 
task,  and  it  was  by  no  ordinary  means  that  it  was 
executed." 

The  English  had  by  no  means  relinquished  their 
designs  upon  the  Peninsula.  The  successes  of 
Napoleon  and  his  victorious  army  but  served  to 
stimulate  their  hatred  of  the  French,  and  spur  them 
on  to  further  efforts.  Another  army  was  accordingly 
collected,  and  placed  under  the  command  of  Sir 
Arthur  Wellesley,  who  landed  in  Lisbon  on  the  22d 
of  April,  1809.  The  force  under  his  command  was 
fourteen  thousand  five  hundred  infantry,  fifteen  hun- 
dred cavalry,  and  twenty-four  pieces  of  artillery. 
The  passage  of  the  river  Dwero  was  his  first  contest 
with  the  French.  In  this  he  was  successful,  and  his 
success  opened  to  him  the  gates  of  Oporto.  Soon 
after  occurred  the   celebrated  battle  of  Talavera. 


106      MILITAEY  ADVENTUKES  OF  CHAEIES  O'ml. 

King  Joseph  was  himself  nominally  at  the  head  of 
his  troops;  but  Marshal  Victor  was,  in  reality,  the 
leader.  Victor  and  Soult  had  both  laid  their  plans 
before  the  Mug,  and  urged  them  with  all  the  elo- 
quence they  were  capable  of.  So  sure  was  Victor  ' 
of  tte  victory,  should  his  advice  be  followed,  that  he 
said  that,  If  his  plans  should  faU,  all  military  science 
was  useless.  The  event  proved,  however,  that  Soult 
was  correct. 

"  The  morning  dawned  beautifuUy  clear,  but  a 
July  sun  poured  down  its  burning  heat,  until  the  sol- 
diers were  glad  to  seek  shelter  from  its  rays  in  the 
quiet  shade.     Between  the  camps  of  the  two  armies 
flowed  a  Utile  murmuring  rivulet,  and,  as  the  French 
and  Enghsh  met  there  to  slake  their  thirst,  pleasant 
words  passed  between  them.    FamiUar  conversation, 
the  light  laugh  and  the  gay  jest,  were  heard  on  every 
side.     But,  about  one  o'clock,  the  deep  rolling  of 
drums  along  the  French  lines  announced  to  the  ^es 
that  the  hour  had  come  when  those  who  had  met  to 
slake  their  thirst  in  those  quiet  waters  were  soon  to 
mingle  to  quell  in  blood  their  thirst  for  strife     Thev 
too,  prepared  for  combat;  and,  when  the  loud  boora- 
ing  of  the  guns  gave  the  signal  that  the  battle  was  i 

commenced,  eighty  cannon  opened  their  destructive 
fire  jmd  the  light  troops  went  sweeping  onward 
with  the  rapidity  of  a  thunder-cloud  over  the  heavens, 
while  the  deep,  dark  columns  marched  sternly  after 
and  charged,  with  terrible  strength,  the  Enghsh  lines! 
Then  aU  along  their  fronts  the  deep-mouthed  guns 


BATTLE   OP   TALAVERA.  107 

opened  their  well-directed  fire,  and  the  infantry- 
responded  to  the  furious  attack  with  their  rapid 
volleys,  as  they  closed  around  the  head  of  the  advanc- 
ing columns,  enveloping  them  in  one  sheet  of  flame, 
that  streamed  like  billows  along  their  sides.  It  was 
too  much  for  human  courage  to  endure ;  and,  after 
bravely  breasting  the  storm,  they  were  obliged  to  fall 
back  in  disorder. 

'lAfter  various  successes,  and  reverses,  the  French 
seemed  about  to  gain  the  day.  The  English  centre  was 
broken,  and  Victor's  columns  marching  triumphantly 
through  it.  Just  at  this  juncture,  when  the  English 
were  scattering  on  every  side.  Colonel  DoneUan, 
anxious  to  save  the  honor  of  his  army,  was  seen 
advancing  through  the  disordered  masses,  at  the  head 
of  the  48th  regiment.  The  retiring  masses  on  every 
side  pressed  hard  against  these  brave  soldiers,  and  it 
seemed,  at  first,  as  though  they  must  be  carried  away 
by  them;  but,  wheeling  back  by  companies,  they 
opened  to  let  the  fugitives  pass,  and  then,  pursuing 
their  proud  and  beautiful  line,  they  marched  straight 
upon  the  pursuing  columns  on  the  right  side,  and 
poured  their  rapid  fire  into  the  dense  ranks.  Closing 
on  the  foe  with  steadiness  and  firmness,  these  few 
soldiers  arrested  the  progress  of  the  entire  mass. 
Then  their  artillery  opened  its  fire  upon  them,  and 
the  cavalry  rallied,  and  rode  round  to  charge  their 
flanks ;  and,  after  a  short  and  earnest  warfare,  the 
tide  of  success  turned,  and  victory,  which  seemed  a 
moment  before  in  the  hands  of  the  French,  was 
10 


108     MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

wrested  from  their  grasp,  amid  the  loud  shouts  and 
earnest  cheerings  of  the  British.  Their  troops  retired 
m  good  order  to  their  former  position,  and  at  six 
o'clock  the  battle  had  closed.  And  now,  as  both 
parties  were  preparing  to  remove  their  wounded,  and 
pay  the  last  sad  duties  to  the  dead,  one  of  those  ter- 
rible events  occurred  which  sometimes  come  to  shock 
the  human  soul,  and  overrun  a  cup  of  misery  already 
full.  Hardly  had  the  last  troops  withdrawn  froni  the 
scene  of  contest,  when  the  long  dry  grass  took  fire, 
and  one  broad  flame  swept  furiously  over  the  field, 
wrapping  the  dead  and  wounded  together  in  its  fiery 
mantle.  The  shrieks  of  the  scorched  and  writhing 
victims,  that  struggled  up  through  the  thick  folds  of 
smoke  that  rolled  darkly  over  them,  were  far  more 
appalling  than  the  uproar  of  battle,  and  carried  con- 
sternation to  every  heart  that  heard.  Two  thousand 
men  were  killed  on  both  sides,  and  eight  thousand 
wounded."* 

Soon  after,  the  army  effected  a  junction  with  Soult, 
and  Sir  Arthur  Wellesley  was  obliged  to  retreat. 
He  obtained,  however,  a  promise  from  the  Spanish 
general  that  the  English  wounded  should  be  removed 
from  the  hospitals  of  Talavera  to  some  other  place. 
But  this  promise,  like  too  many  others,  was  shame- 
fully violated;  and  he  left  the  place,  abandoning 
them  all  to  the  mercy  of  the  enemy.  When  Victor 
entered  the  town,  he  found  the  public  square  covered 
with  the  sick  and  maimed  of  both  armies,  scattered 

*  Headley. 


THE   ENGLISH   RETIRE   INTO   PORTUGAL.  109 

around  on  the  pavement,  without  any  one  to  care  for 
them.  He  immediately  sent  his  soldiers  into  the 
houses,  commanding  the  inhabitants  to  receive  the 
wounded  sufferers.  He  ordered  that  one  English 
and  one  French  soldier  should  be  lodged  together,  — 
thus  softening  the  asperities  of  war,  and  setting  an 
example  to  his  foes  which  they  would  have  done 
well  to  follow.  If  the  Spanish  had  refused  to  care 
for  the  sick  and  wounded  of  their  allies,  they  showed 
scarcely  more  consideration  for  the  men  on  whose 
success  their  own  safety  depended.  They  refused  to 
supply  them  with  provisions.  The  soldiers  were 
weakened  by  hunger,  and  the  sick  dying  for  want  of 
necessary  succor.  Half  a  pound  of  wheat  in  the  grain, 
and,  twice  a  week,  a  few  ounces  of  flour,  with  a  quar- 
ter of  a  pound  of  goat's  flesh,  formed  the  sole  sub- 
sistence of  men  and  officers.  The  goats  were  caught 
and  killed  by  the  troops ;  and  it  was  so  difficult  to 
procure  even  these,  that  the  mere  offal  of  a  goat 
would  bring  three  or  four  dollars.  Sir  Arthur's  warm 
remonstrances  to  the  Spanish  junta  were  answered 
only  by  promises.  The  soldiers  were  murmuring  at 
their  bad  treatment ;  and,  when  pestilence  broke  out 
in  the  army,  and  five  thousand  men  died  in  their 
hospitals,  WeUesley,  deeming  it  useless  to  struggle 
longer  against  the  force  of  circumstances,  judged  it 
best  again  to  evacuate  Spain,  and  withdraw  his  troops 
into  Portugal.  However  lightly  the  English  had,  in 
anticipation,  regarded  the  bravery  of  the  French 
troops,  experience  —  that  stern  and  truthful  monitor 


110     MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

— had  taught  them  that  they  were  an  enemy  not  to  be 
despised,  and  that  Soult,  their  chief  commander,  was 
as  skilful,  and,  as  a  tactician,  fully  equal  to  Welling- 
ton.    Many  English  writers,  in  speaking  of  Welling- 
ton, have  dr^wn  a  parallel  between  him  and  Napoleon, 
because  he  was  commander-in-chief  when  the  battle 
of  Waterloo  was  won.    Yet  this  long  struggle  between 
the  English  general  and  Soult,  in  Spain,  in  which  he 
was  as  often  defeated  as  conqueror,  shows  conclu- 
sively that  the  French  and  English  commanders  were 
weU  matched,  —  that   there  was   little   to   choose 
between  them;    and  who  would  think,  even  for  a 
moment,  of  instituting  a  comparison  of  equality  be- 
tween Napoleon  and  Soult  ? 

We  cannot  foUow  the  Spaniards,  in  aU  their  oper- 
ations, after  the  EngUsh  forces  had  been  withdrawn ; 
marked,  as  they  often  were,  by  want  of  courage,  and 
oftener  by  want  of  skill  and  foresight  in  their  arrange- 
ments.    The  Partida  warfare  was  now  instituted,  and 
many  of  the  French  troops  were  cut  off  in  this  way; 
yet  the  system  was  a  decided  injury  to  Spain.     The 
heroic  defence  of  Saragossa,  already  recorded,  and 
the  almost  equaUy  courageous  one  of  Gerona,  rise  as 
bright  spots  on  the  dark  page  of  Spanish  history,  and 
are  weU  worthy  of  a  name  and  place  in  this  history. 
Most  of  the  siege  of  Gerona  we  shaU  take  the  liberty 
to  extract  from  Tucker's  Life  of  WeUington. 
,    Gerona  is  a  city  of  Catalonia,  situate  on  the  Httle 
river  Onar.     It  is  protected  by  four  forts,  upon  the 
high  ground  above  it.     Its  principal  defence,  how- 


SIEGE   OP   GERONA.  Ill 

ever,  was  the  citadel,  called  the  Monjuie.  This  is  a 
square  fort,  two  hundred  and  forty  yards  in  length 
on  each  side,  with  four  bastions.  The  garrisons  con- 
sisted of  three  thousand  four  hundred  men,  com- 
manded by  Mariano  Alvarez, —  a  man  at  once  noble, 
brave,  and  humane.  Alvarez,  who  knew  that  he 
could  place  small  dependence  on  reinforcements  from 
without,  gave  every  encouragement  to  the  feelings 
of  the  citizens  to  defend  their  town  to  the  last  ex- 
tremity. For  this  purpose,  he  formed  them  into 
eight  companies  of  one  hundred  men  each.  Nor  was 
the  .  enthusiasm  of  the  defence  shared  alone  by  the 
men.  Maids  and  matrons  also  enrolled  themselves 
in  an  association,  which  they  termed  the  Company 
of  St.  Barbara,  to  perform  whatever  lay  in  their 
power.  Alvarez  knew  full  well  the  power  which 
superstition  would  exert  on  the  minds  of  the  bigoted 
Spaniards.  He,  therefore,  invested  St.  Narcis,  the 
patron  saint  of  the  Geronans,  with  the  insignia  of 
generaUssimo  of  all  their  forces,  by  land  and  by  sea. 
This  was  done  on  the  Sabbath  ;  and  the  shrine  of  the 
saint  was  opened,  and  a  general's  staff,  a  sword  and 
richly- ornamented  belt,  were  deposited  with  his  holy 
relics.  Such  was  the  joy  and  excitement  of  the 
Spaniards,  that  one  of  their  writers  says,  "  It  seemed 
as  if  the  glory  of  the  Lord  had  descended  and  filled 
the  church,  manifesting  that  their  devotion  was  ap- 
proved and  blessed  by  heaven." 

A  proclamation  was  also  issued  by  Alvarez,  for- 
bidding all  persons,  of  whatever  rank,  from  speaking 
10* 


112      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

of  capitulation,  on  pain  of  immediate  death.  This 
was  received,  both  by  the  garrison  and  people,  with 
acclamation. 

The  city  was  closely  invested  by  eighteen  thou- 
sand French,  under  the  command  of  General  Ver- 
dier,  on  the  6th  of  May,  on  the  heights  of  Casa  Roca, 
where  they  erected  a  battery  of  eleven  mortars,  and 
began  to  form  their  first  Hne  of  circumvaUation.    The 
garrison  was  too  weak  to  make  a  sally,  or  otherwise 
prevent  them.     A  flag  of  truce  was  sent,  with  the 
conditions  on  which  the  French  would  leave  the  city  • 
but  the  only  reply  it  drew  forth  was,  that  the  Gero' 
nans  would  hold  no  communication  with  the  French 
but.at  the  cannon's  mouth.     At  one  o'clock  on  the 
mormng  of  June  14th,  the  bombardment  commenced 
As  soon  as  the  first  shell  struck,  the  loud  tones  of  the 
generale  resounded  through  the  streets,  and  every  one 
flew  to  his  post.     The  female  Company  of  St.  Bar- 
bara,  so   far  from  shrinking  from   danger,  sought 
everywhere  those  spots  where  most  was  anticipated. 
What  bravery  or  daring  could  do  was  done  ;  yet  two 
castles  were  yielded  up,  after  a  brave  but  vain  resist- 
ance.    Palamas  was  also  carried  by  assault.     Very 
few  of  the  garrison  escaped,  and  those  only  by  throw- 
ing themselves  into  the  sea.     In  July,  three  batteries 
^ept^  up  an  incessant  fire  upon  three  sides  of  the 

vT.t  c?^  """^  '^  ^^'''  discharges  the  angle  on 
which  the  Spanish  flag  was  planted  was  cut  off,  and 
the  flag  prostrated  into  the  ditch  below.  In  an  in- 
stant, a  man  was  lowered  down  from  the  waUs  to 


SIEGE   OF   GERONA.  113 

regain  it.  Balls  fell  like  hail  around  him ;  yet, 
apparently  unmindful  of  the  dangers  to  which  he 
was  exposed,  he  calmly  descended,  and,  having 
recovered  the  prostrate  banner,  returned  to  his  com- 
rades unhurt,  and  again  hoisted  it  on  the  walls. 

A  breach  was  now  made  in  the  walls  so  wide  that 
forty  men  might  enter  abreast.  The  works,  pro- 
gressed with  more  rapidity,  as  the  fire  of  the  besieged 
had  entirely  ceased.  It  was  not  that  Gerona  was 
conquered,  but,  finding  that  their  ammunition  was 
growing  short,  they  prudently  reserved  it  until  the 
nearer  approach  of  the  enemy  should  make  it  more 
efficient.  On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  about  three 
o'clock,  the  French,  under  cover  of  a  most  tremen- 
dous bombardment,  again  assaulted  the  city.  Six 
thousand  men  marched  up  to  the  breach,  and  endeav- 
ored to  rush  through ;  but,  concealed  there  in  the 
ruins  of  the  ravelin,  lay  a  mortar,  which  discharged 
five  hundred  musket-balls  every  shot.  As  they 
advanced,  it  was  turned  upon  them,  and  their  way 
was  soon  impeded  by  the  slain.  Three  times  during 
that  day  the  assault  was  repeated,  with  the  utmost 
resolution,  by  the  assailants  ;  and  three  times  were 
they  obliged  to  retire  before  the  heroic  defenders  of 
Gerona,  leaving  sixteen  hundred  men  lifeless  on  the 
field  of  battle.  But  the  effect  of  that  dreadful 
attack  was  severely  felt  by  the  besieged.  The  tower 
of  St.  Juan  had  been  blown  up,  and  only  twenty- 
three  of  its  brave  little  garrison  remained  alive. 

An  instance  of  extraordinary  heroism,  in  a  youth- 


114      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

ftd  drummer,  which  occurred  during  the  assault,  de- 
serves to  be  recorded.  His  name  was  Luciana  Ancio, 
and  he  belonged  to  the  artillery.  He  was  stationed 
to  give  the  alarm,  when  a  shell  was  thrown.  A  ball 
struck  his  leg  off  to  the  knee,  and  felled  him  to  the 
ground.  Some  women,  who  saw  him  faU,  hastened 
to  remove  him  to  a  place  of  greater  safety  ;  but  he 
refused,  saying,  "  No,  no  !  my  arms  are  left,  and  I 
can  still  beat  the  drum  to  give  my  comrades  warn- 
ing in  time  to  save  themselves."  Heaven  seemed 
to  snule  upon  his  bravery ;  for  he  alone,  of  aU  those 
who  suffered  an  amputation  of  the  thigh  during  the 
siege,  recovered. 

The  Company  of  St.  Barbara  were  everywhere  to 
be  seen,  covered  with  dust  and  blood,  under  the 
burning  heat  of  a  July  sun.  Those  courageous 
women,  through  an  incessant  fire  of  the  batteries  and 
the  musketry,  carried  water  and  wine  to  the  soldiers, 
and  bore  back  the  wounded.  Every  day  produced 
acts  of  heroism  equally  conspicuous,  for  the  attack 
continued  with  unabated  force.  The  sharp-shooters 
of  the  enemy  were  stationed  thickly  in  the  trenches ; 
and  so  fatal  was  their  aim,  that  for  any  of  the  gar- 
rison to  be  seen,  only  for  a  moment,  was  certain 
death.  And,  although  the  sentinels  were  changed 
every  half-hour,  nine  were  killed,  in  one  day,  at  one 
post ;  and,  after  this,  it  was  only  possible  to  observe 
what  the  enemy  were  about,  by  some  one  in  the  force 
lifting  up  his  head,  and  taking  a  momentary  glance. 

Early  in  August,  the  besiegers  had  pushed  their 


SIEGE   OF   GERONA.  115 

parallels  to  the  very  edge  of  tlie  fosse  ;  but  here  their 
efforts  were  delayed,  because  the  nature  of  the  soil 
obliged  them  to  bring  earth  from  some  distance  to 
finish  their  works.  About  this  time,  Castellar  de  la 
Silva,  at  the  head  of  fifteen  hundred  men,  attempted 
to  throw  supplies  into  the  city ;  but  no  precautions 
could  escape  the  watchful  eye  of  the  besiegers.  The 
convoy  was  seized,  and  only  five  hundred  men,  of  the 
fifteen  hundred  who  defended  it,  lived  to  teU  the 
tale. 

The  main  attacks  of  the  besiegers  were  now 
directed  against  the  ravelin,  which  had  become  the 
chief  defence  of  Monjuie.  Attempts  were  made, 
night  after  night,  to  storm  it ;  but  in  vain.  It  was 
mined,  but,  as  the  breastwork  was  wholly  of  earth, 
the  explosion  did  no  injury.  A  battery  was  planted 
against  it,  and  a  saUy  was  made  by  the  besieged, 
hoping  to  destroy  it.  This  attack  was  headed  by  a 
priest.  He  was  fired  upon,  and  fell.  One  of  the 
French  ofl&cers,  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  protected 
him  from  further  injury.  But  his  humanity  cost  him 
his  life.  One  of  the  Spaniards,  mistaking  his  ob- 
ject, cut  him  down.  The  guns  of  the  battery  were 
spiked ;  but  this  brave  attack  was  of  little  use, 
for  the  French  were  weU  supplied  with  artillery,  and 
fresh  guns  were  soon  mounted,  and  played  upon  the 
gate  and  ravelin. 

For  thirty-seven  days  had  this  fierce  conflict  been 
sustained.  The  numbers  of  the  besieged  were  greatly 
reduced ;  the  hospitals  were  filled  to  overflowing, 


116      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   0*NEIL. 

and  pestilence,  with  all  its  horrors,  spread  unchecked, 
on  every  side.  Yet  this  was  not  all.  Grim,  gaunt 
famine  was  among  them,  and  began  to  be  severely- 
felt.  Of  all  their  stores,  only  some  wheat  and  a 
little  flour  remained.  StiU,  there  was  no  thought  of 
capitulation,  although  every  day  diminished  their 
little  stock.  On  the  19th  of  September,  another 
general  assault  was  made ,  and  as  bravely  met.  * '  Fre- 
quently," says  Southey,  *'  such  was  the  press  of  con- 
flict, and  such  the  passion  that  inspired  them,  that, 
impatient  of  the  time  required  for  reloading  their 
muskets,  the  defendants  caught  up  stones  from  the 
breach,  and  hurled  upon  their  enemies  these  readier 
weapons.  Four  times  the  assault  was  repeated  in 
the  course  of  two  hours,  and  at  every  point  the  ene- 
my was  beaten  off.  The  noble  Alvarez,  during  the 
whole  assault,  hastened  from  post  to  post,  wherever 
he  was  most  needed,  providing  everything,  directing 
all,  and  encouraging  all.  Eight  hundred  of  the  be- 
siegers fell,  on  this  memorable  day.  A  glorious  suc- 
cess had  been  gained,  yet  it  brought  with  it  no  rest, 
—  no  respite, —  scarcely  a  prolongation  of  hope. 
There  was  no  wine  to  cheer  the  wearied  soldiery, 
when  they  returned  from  the  assault  —  not  even 
bread.  A  scanty  mess  of  pulse,  or  corn,  with  a  little 
oil,  or  morsel  of  bacon,  in  its  stead,  was  all  that  could 
be  served  out ;  and  even  this  was  the  gift  of  fami- 
lies, who  shared  with  the  soldiers  their  little  stores. 
"  What  matters  it? "  was  the  answer  of  these  heroes 
to  the  lament  of  the  inhabitants  that  they  had  nothing 


SIEGE   OF   GERONA.  117 

better  to  give  ;  "if  the  food  fail,  the  joy  of  having 
saved  Gerona  will  give  us  strength  to  go  on."  Every 
day,  every  hour,  added  to  the  distress  of  the  besieged. 
Their  flour  was  exhausted,  and,  for  want  of  other  ani- 
mal food,  mules  and  horses  were  slaughtered,  and  sent 
to  the  shambles.  A  list  was  made  of  all  within  the 
city,  and  they  were  taken  by  lot.  Fuel  became  ex- 
ceedingly scarce  ;  yet  such  was  the  patriotism  of  the 
people,  that  the  heaps  placed  at  the  comers  of  the 
streets,  to  illuminate  them  in  case  of  danger,  re- 
mained untouched.  A  glimmering  of  hope  still 
remained  that  the  city  might  be  supplied  with  pro- 
visions by  the  army  of  Blake  ;  but  even  this  faint 
hope  was  cut  off  when  Marshal  Augereau  superseded 
St.  Cyr  in  the  control  of  the  siege, —  for  his  first  act 
was  to  take  possession  of  Haslatrich,  at  which  place 
Blake  had  stored  the  greater  part  of  his  magazines. 
Augereau  sent  letters  to  the  city  threatening  an  in- 
crease of  horrors  in  case  the  siege  was  prolonged, 
and  offering  them  an  armistice  of  a  month,  with  pro- 
visions for  that  time,  if  Alvarez  would  then  capitu- 
late ;  but  these  terms  were  rejected  with  scorn. 
Hitherto,  the  few  animals  which  had  remained  had 
been  led  out  to  feed  near  the  burying-ground  ;  but 
this  was  no  longer  possible,  and  the  wretched  animals 
gnawed  the  hair  from  each  other's  bodies.  The  stores 
of  the  citizens  were  now  exhausted,  and  the  food  for 
the  hospitals  was  sometimes  seized  on  the  way,  by 
the  famishing  populace.  Provisions  were  prepared  in 
the  French  camp,  and  held  out  to  the  garrison  as  a 


118      MIUTABY  ADVENTURES  OF  CHARLES   o'neil. 

temptetion  to  desert;    and  yet,  during  the  whole 
siege,  only  ten  so  deserted. 

At  length,  human  nature  could  endure  no  more. 
The  chief  surgeon  presented  to  Alvarez  a  report  on 
the  sUte  of  the  city.     It  was,  indeed,  a  fearful  one 

Sle^  !t        P  °°'  '  '^''  ''""^^  ^'^■"^-^^  -  -  ''-st- 
able state    m  Gerona.    The  people  slept  in  cellars,  and 

vaulte,  and  holes,  amid  the  mins ;  and  the  wounded 

were  often  killed  in  the  hospiba  by  the  enemy's  fire 

The  street,  were  broken  up,  so  that  the  rain-water  and 

sewers  had  stagnated,  and  their  pestilential  breath 

wa^  rendered  more  noxious  by  the  dead  bodies  wWch 

lay  perishmg  m  the  ruins.     The  incessant  thunder  of 

artUlery  had  affected  the  atmosphere,  and  vegetation 

had  stopped     The  fruit  withered  on  the  trees,  and 

nothing  would  grow.     Within  the  last  three  days 

have  died  in  the  hospitals,  and  the  pestUence  is  still 
raging  unchecked.  "  If,  by  these  sacrifices,"  say  its 
authors  m  conclusion,  "deserving  forever  to  be  the 
a  Wion  of  history,-  and  if,  by  cLummating  th  m 
Me  lives  of  us,  who,  by  the  will  of  Providence, 
have  survived  our  comrades,  _  the  Uberty  of  our  coun- 
^  can  be  secured,  happy  shall  we  be,  in  the  bosom 
of  eternity,  and  in  the  memory  of  aU  good  men  and 
happy^wm  be  our  chUdren  among  theif  feUow  0^- 

lons  fever,  his  successor  in  command  yielded  the  city 


THE  ENGLISH  AT  TORRES  VEDRAS.        119 

on  honorable  terms,  on  the  10th  of  December,  the 
siege  having  lasted  seven  months.  Alvarez  died 
soon  after,  and  the  central  junta  awarded  honors  and 
titles  to  his  family,  and  exempted  the  whole  city 
from  taxation. 

The  surrender  of  this  devoted  city  closed  the  cam- 
paign for  1809.  The  principal  events  of  the  cam- 
paign of  1810  were  the  battle  of  Busaco,  in  which 
the  English  gained  the  victory,  and  the  retreat  of  the 
French  Marshal  Massena.  For  four  months  and  a 
half,  Massena  had  continually  followed  the  retreating 
forces  of  WelKngton,  until  now  he  had  retired  beyond 
the  lines  of  Torres  Vedras.  The  English  had  been 
engaged  on  these  lines  a  year,  until  they  had  at  last 
rendered  them  almost  impregnable.  They  consisted 
of  three  lines  of  intrenchments,  one  within  another, 
extending  for  nearly  thirty  miles.  On  these  lines 
were  a  hundred  and  fifty  redoubts,  and  six  hundred 
mounted  camion.  Here  Massena  saw  his  enemy 
retire  within  these  lines,  and  he  then  knew  that  his 
utmost  efforts  to  dislodge  him  must  prove  abortive. 
Besides,  Wellington  here  received  reinforcements  to 
his  army,  which  increased  it  to  one  hundred  and 
thirty  thousand  men. 

Besides  these  defences,  there  were  twenty  British 
ships  of  the  line,  and  a  hundred  transports,  ready  to 
receive  the  army,  if  forced  to  retire.  Unwilling  to 
retreat,  Massena  sat  down  with  his  army  here,  hoping 
to  draw  Wellington  to  an  open  battle.  But  he  pre- 
ferred waiting  for  an  attack  upon  his  intrenchments, 
11 


120      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

or  to  starve  the  enemy  into  a  retreat.  This  he  knew 
must  soon  he  done.  Wellington  himself  declares 
that  Massena  provisioned  his  sixty  thousand  men  and 
twenty  thousand  horses,  for  two  months,  where  he 
could  not  have  maintained  a  single  division  of  Eng- 
lish soldiers.  But  his  army  was  now  reduced  to 
starvation ;  and  he,  driven  to  the  last  extremity,  saw 
that  he  must  either  commence  his  retreat  at  once,  or 
his  famine -stricken  army  would  be  too  weak  to  march. 
Arranging  his  troops  into  a  compact  mass,  he  placed 
the  rear  guard  under  the  command  of  Ney,  and  re- 
tired from  the  Torres  Yedras.  Wellington  imme- 
diately commenced  the  pursuit ;  but,  owing  to  the 
skilful  arrangements  of  the  French  marshal,  he 
found  it  impossible  to  attack  him  with  success. 
Taking  advantage  of  every  favorable  position,  he 
would  make  a  stand,  and  wait  until  the  main  body  of 
the  army  had  passed  on,  and  then  would  himself  fall 
back.  Thus,  for  more  than  four  months,  did  this 
retreat  continue,  until  he  arrived  at  the  confines 
of  Portugal,  having  lost  more  than  one-third  of 
his  army.  Many  were  the  cruelties  practised  on 
this  retreat.  They  have  often,  been  described,  and 
form  a  dark  spot  on  the  English  historian's  page. 
All  war  is  necessarily  cruel ;  and  the  desolation  and 
barrenness  that  followed  in  the  track  of  the  French 
army,  wasting  the  inhabitants  by  famine,  were  a  pow- 
erful check  on  Wellington  in  his  pursuit.  The  track 
of  a  retreating  and  starving  army  must  always  be 
covered  with  woe  ;  and  one  might  as  well  complain 


ESCAPE   OF   FRENCH    PRISONERS.  121 

of  the  cruelty  of  a  besieging  force,  because  innocent 
women  and  children  die  by  hunger. 

The  siege  of  Cadiz  occupied  the  spring  and  sum- 
mer of  this  year.  During  this  siege,  a  tremendous 
tempest  ravaged  the  Spanish  coast,  lasting  four  days. 
By  it  more  than  forty  sail  of  merchantmen,  besides 
three  line-of-battle  ships,  were  driven  on  shore.  It 
was  during  this  tempest  that  the  French  and  Swiss 
on  board  the  prison-ships  in  the  harbor  made  their 
escape.  '*  The  storm  was  so  great,"  writes  one  of 
the  unhappy  captives,  "that  we  could  not  receive 
our  supply  of  provision  from  the  shore.  Our  signals 
of  distress  were  wholly  disregarded  by  the  Spanish 
authorities  ;  and,  had  it  not  been  for  the  humanity 
of  the  British  admiral,  who  sent  his  boats  to  their 
relief,  many  more  of  our  miserable  men  must  have 
perished.  The  pontoons  in  which  these  prisoners 
were  confined  were  not  properly  secured  ;  and  the 
prisoners  on  board  the  CastiUa,  seeing  that  the  wind 
and  tide  were  in  their  favor,  cut  the  cable,  and,  hoist- 
ing a  sail  which  they  had  made  from  their  hammocks, 
steered  for  the  opposite  coast.  They  were  seven 
hundred  in  number,  and  most  of  them  officers.  Eng- 
lish boats  were  sent  against  them,  but  they  found  the 
French  were  prepared.  The  ballast  of  the  vessel  in 
which  they  were  confined  was  cannon-balls  of  twenty- 
four  and  thirty-six  pounds'  weight.  These  the  French 
hurled  by  hand  into  the  boats  of  their  pursuers,  and 
soon  disabled  them,  so  that  the  fugitives  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  escaping  with  but  little  loss. 


122      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES  O'nEIL. 

The  first  two  months  of  the  year  1811  were  most 
inauspicious  for  the  Spanish  cause.  General  Suchet 
possessed  himself  of  Tortosa,  and  on  the  23d  of  the 
same  month  Soult  became  master  of  Olivenza.  On 
the  same  day  died  the  Marquis  de  la  Romana,  one  of 
the  most  skilful  and  noblest  of  the  Spanish  leaders  ; 
and  he  had  scarcely  expired,  before  his  army  met 
with  a  signal  defeat  at  Gebora. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

The  Author,  with  his  Regiment,  leaves  Gibraltar,  for  Tarifa.  —  Dissensions 
between  the  Spanish  and  English  Officers.  —  Battle  of  Barossa.  —  Retreat 
of  the  French.  —  SuflFering  of  the  Pursuing  Army.  —  Guerillas.  —  Don 
Julian  Sanchez.  —  Juan  Martin  Diaz.  —  Xavier  Mina.  —  Continued  Pri- 
vations of  the  British  Army.  —  Adventures  of  the  Author  in  Search  of 
Food.  —  Arrival  of  the  Commissariat  with  Provisions.  —  Extravagant 
Joy  of  the  Troops.  —  Departure  of  the  British  Army  for  Badajos. 

Having  given  to  my  readers  some  slight  sketches 
of  the  rise  and  progress  of  this  war  previous  to  the 
time  when  I  first  became  an  active  participator  in  its 
scenes,  I  shall  now  continue  it,  with  the  history  of 
my  own  adventures. 

In  looking  back  through  the  long  series  of  years 
that  have  elapsed  since  those  eventful  days,  there  are 
few  scenes  that  I  can  recall  more  vividly  than  that 
which  occurred  on  the  morning  I  left  Gibraltar.  It 
was  my  first  experience  of  the  kind,  and,  therefore, 
made  a  deeper  impression  than  many  after  scenes, 
which  might  have  been  far  more  worthy  of  record 
than  this.  It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  and  every- 
where the  troops  were  in  motion.  Horses  were 
brought  out,  our  baggage  prepared  and  sent  on;  the 
light  jest  and  laugh  and  joke  went  freely  round,  serv- 
ing, in  many  instances,  to  conceal  the  thoughts  that 
longed  for  utterance.  Farewells  were  exchanged, 
last  words  spoken ;  and,  finally,  all  were  prepared, 
the  word  given,  and  our  gallant  little  army  marched 
11* 


124      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

out  of  Gibraltar.  It  was  truly  a  brilliant  sight ;  and 
the  lively  strains  of  our  music  contributed  its  share 
to  make  us  forget  that  we  were  marching  into  a 
country  at  all  times  perilous,  and  now  doubly  so,  to 
meet  certain  dangers,  and,  many  of  us,  certain  death. 
Yet  these  were  in  the  future,  and  lost  beneath  the 
crowd  of  bright  and  joyous  anticipations  that  kindled 
in  our  hearts  as  the  last  loud  cheering  of  our  com- 
rades died  away,  and  the  walls  of  the  far-famed  city 
receded  in  the  distance  behind  our  onward  march. 
Our  course  was  directed  to  Tarifa ;  here  we  had 
orders  to  wait  until  the  forces  from  Cadiz  should 
come  up.  An  expedition  had  been  sent  out  from 
this  city,  consisting  of  ten  thousand  men,  three  thou- 
sand of  whom  were  British,  whose  object  was  to  drive 
the  French  general  out  of  his  lines.  Victor,  having 
heard  of  this  project,  enlarged  and  strengthened  his 
own  forces,  which  now  amounted  to  about  twenty 
thousand  men,  in  Andalusia. 

The  allied  army  sailed  from  Cadiz  on  the  20th  of 
February,  for  Tarifa ;  but,  a  storm  arising  soon  after 
they  left,  they  were  driven  past  this  port,  and  disem- 
barked at  Algesiras.  They  marched  to  Tarifa  on  the 
23d,  under  the  command  of  General  Thomas  Graham. 
Here  we  met;  and,  as  we  were  more  recently  from 
home  than  these  troops,  we  had  many  questions  to 
answer,  and  much  information  both  to  give  and 
receive.  Before  night,  however,  we  had  all  our 
places  assigned  to  us,  and  were  now  ready  for  our 
march.     But  the  Spanish  General  La  Pena  had  not 


THE   ALLIED    ARMY. 


125 


yet  arrived ;  and  so  we  remained  encamped  here  until 
the  27th,  when  he  came  up,  with  his  forces ;  and  to 
him  General  Graham,  for  the  sake  of  unanimity,  ceded 
the  chief  command.  All  day  we  were  busy  in  pre- 
parations for  our  morrow's  march,  expecting  at  its 
close  to  come  within  a  s!iort  distance  of  the  enemy's 
outposts.  Early  the  next  morning,  our  whole  army 
was  in  motion.  We  moved  forward  about  twelve 
miles,  over  the  mountain  ridges  that  descend  from 
Ronda  to  the  sea ;  and  then,  having  learned  that  the 
enemy  were  only  four  leagues  distance,  we  halted, 
for  the  purpose  of  reorganizing  the  army.  The  com- 
mand of  the  vanguard  was  given  to  Lardizabal,  that 
of  the  centre  to  the  Prince  of  Anglona,  while  General 
Graham  had  charge  of  the  reserve,  consisting  of  two 
Spanish  regiments  and  the  British  troops.  The  cav- 
alry of  both  nations,  formed  in  one  body,  was  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Whittingham.  The  French  army 
were  encamped  near  Chiclana,  narrowly  observing 
the  movements  of  the  allied  armies,  and  determined, 
at  all  events,  to  hold  complete  possession  of  the 
country. 

The  next  day,  March  2d,  the  vanguard  of  our 
army  stormed  Casa  Viejas.  Having  gained  this  small 
place,  and  stationed  here  a  regiment,  we  continued 
our  march  on  the  3d  and  4th. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  5th,  as  the  advanced 
guards  of  our  cavalry  had  proceeded  a  short  distance 
from  the  main  army,  they  suddenly  came  upon  a 
squadron  of  French  troops.     Unfortunately  for  them, 


126      MILITARY  ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

several  stone  fences  and  enclosures  prevented  an 
immediate  attack,  so  that  the  French  had  time  to 
form  into  a  square,  and  received  their  charge  with 
great  coolness  and  intrepidity.  Their  square  was 
unbroken,  although  numbers  had  fallen  on  both  sides. 
A  second  charge  was  equally  unsuccessful,  and  the 
colonel  of  our  cavalry  was  mortally  wounded.  Our 
men  then  judged  it  most  prudent  to  fall  back  upon 
the  main  army,  and  no  attempt  was  made  to  follow 
them  by  the  enemy.  An  anxious  look-out  was  insti- 
tuted, but  the  foe  did  not  again  make  his  appearance, 
and  at  nine  o'clock  the  same  morning  our  commander 
took  up  his  position  on  the  heights  of  Barossa, 

The  hill  of  Barossa  is  a  low  ridge,  creeping  in  from 
the  coast  about  a  mile  and  a  half,  and  overlooking  a 
high  broken  plain.  On  one  side  of  this  plain  rise  the 
huge  coast  cliffs,  while  the  other  is  skirted  by  the 
deep  forest  of  Chiclana.  Directly  in  front,  there  lies 
a  light  pine  wood,  beyond  which  rises  a  long  narrow 
height,  called  the  Bermeja.  There  were  two  ways 
by  which  this  might  be  reached ;  the  first  was  through 
the  woods,  while  the  second  was  a  narrow  road 
directly  under  the  coast  cliffs. 

I  have  already  alluded  to  the  fact,  that,  although 
the  English  and  Spanish  were  fighting  under  the 
same  banner,  there  was  a  great  want  of  unanimity  of 
feeling  and  opinion  as  to  the  course  which  ought  to 
be  pursued  in  ridding  their  country  of  their  common 
foe.  Nowhere,  in  the  history  of  the  war,  was  this 
more  apparent  than  at  the  battle  whose  history  I  am 


DISSENSIONS.  127 

about  to  relate.  The  deep-seated  pride  of  the  Span- 
ish made  them  unwilling  to  acknowledge  or  yield  to 
the  superiority  of  the  British,  or  hardly  to  allow  that 
they  were  at  all  indebted  to  them.  A  modem  trav- 
eller tells  us  that,  in  a  recent  history  of  this  war, 
which  was,  not  long  since,  published  in  Spain,  the 
British  are  not  even  mentioned,  nor  the  fact  of  their 
assistance  at  all  alluded  to.  It  was  impossible  for 
two  nations  so  unlike  in  their  customs  and  manners, 
so  different  in  language,  religion,  and  education,  to 
be  so  closely  associated  together  as  they  were  obliged 
to  be,  without  occasions  of  dispute  constantly  occur- 
ring, which  would,  probably,  have  terminated  in  open 
rupture,  had  not  the  discipline  of  war  prevented. 

The  fact  that  our  gallant  general  had  ceded  the 
chief  command  to  the  weak  and  imperious  Spanish 
commander  had  occasioned  no  little  dissatisfaction 
among  our  men ;  while,  from  the  conditions  required 
of  him  by  Graham,  we  may  judge  that  that  general 
himself  did  not  pursue  this  course  because  he  judged 
La  Pena  his  superior  in  military  tactics.  These 
conditions  were,  that  his  army  should  make  short 
marches ;  that  they  should  be  kept  fresh  for  battle, 
and  that  they  should  never  approach  the  enemy 
except  in  concentrated  masses.  Although  the  Span- 
ish general  had  pledged  his  word  of  honor  that 
these  conditions  should  be  fulfilled,  how  much  atten- 
tion he  paid  to  them  may  be  judged  from  the  fact, 
that,  on  the  day  but  one  preceding  this,  we  had 
marched  fifteen  hours,  through  bad  roads ;  and,  after 


128      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   o'NEEL. 

a  short  rest,  had  occupied  the  whole  night  in  our 
march  to  Barossa.  Before  the  troops  had  all  arrived, 
or  had  any  time  for  rest  or  refreshment.  La  Pena 
commanded  the  vanguard  to  march  against  San  Petri, 
which  lay  about  four  miles  distant.  A  detachment 
of  the  Spanish  army,  under  Zayas,  had,  only  two  days 
before,  commenced  an  intrenchment  at  this  point; 
but  had  been  surprised  by  the  French,  and  driven 
back,  so  that  the  enemy  now  held  possession  of  all 
the  outposts  down  to  the  sea.  But  a  short  time  had 
elapsed,  after  the  departure  of  the  vanguard,  when 
we  were  startled  by  the  roar  of  the  artillery,  whose 
rapid  discharge,  together  with  the  quick  voUeys  of 
musketry,  showed  us  that  a  sharp  engagement  had 
already  taken  place.  Lardizabal,  —  far  more  worthy 
of  command  than  his  superior,  —  notwithstanding  the 
unfavorable  situation  in  which  he  found  himself 
placed,  succeeded  in  forcing  his  way  through  the 
enemy's  troops,  leaving  three  hundred  men  dead  on 
the  field  of  battle,  and  in  effecting  a  junction  with 
Zayas.  Graham  now  endeavored  to  persuade  La 
Pena  to  occupy  the  heights  of  Barossa,  as  a  superior 
position  to  the  Bermeja.  The  Spanish  general  not 
only  refused  to  listen  to  his  representations,  but  sent 
an  immediate  order  to  General  Graham  to  march 
through  the  wood  to  Bermeja  with  all  the  British 
troops.  This  order  he  obeyed,  although  it  was  in 
opposition  to  his  own  better  judgment,  leaving  only 
two  detachments  at  Barossa,  under  Major  Brown,  to 
guard  the  baggage.     He  would  have  left  a  stronger 


victor's  attack.  131 

force,  had  he  not  supposed  that  La  Pena  would  remain 
in  his  present  position,  with  his  own  troops,  and 
would  thus  assist  those  detachments,  in  case  of  an 
attack.  But  scarcely  had  the  British  entered  the 
wood,  when  La  Pena,  without  the  least  notice  to  his 
colleague,  with  his  whole  army,  took  the  sea  road 
under  the  cliffs,  and  marched  to  San  Petri,  leaving 
Barossa  crowded  with  baggage,  within  sight  of  the 
enemy,  and  guarded  only  by  four  guns  and  five 
battalions. 

No  sooner  did  Victor,  the  French  general,  observe 
its  defenceless  state,  than  he  advanced  with  a  rapid 
pace,  and,  ascending  behind  the  hill,  drove  off  the 
guard,  and  took  possession  of  the  whole  stores  and 
provisions  of  our  army.  Major  Brown,  finding  his 
force  whoUy  inadequate  to  face  the  enemy,  slowly 
withdrew,  having  immediately  despatched  an  aid-de- 
camp to  inform  General  Graham  of  the  attack.  Our 
army  had  then  nearly  reached  the  Bermeja ;  but,  as 
soon  as  the  messenger  anived  with  the  news,  our 
general  saw  at  once  the  necessity  of  taking  the 
direction  of  affairs  himself.  Orders  were  immediately 
given  to  retrace  our  steps  as  rapidly  as  possible,  that 
we  might  assist  the  Spanish  army  in  its  defence. 
Judge,  then,  of  the  astonishment  of  our  general,  on 
reaching  the  plain,  at  the  view  that  presented  itself! 
One  side  of  the  heights  was  occupied  by  the  French, 
while  the  Spanish  rear-guard  was  flying,  with  their 
baggage,  in  great  confusion,  on  the  other.  On  one 
side  of  us  lay  the  cavalry  of  the  French,  and,  on  the 
12 


182     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

other  marching  to  the  attack  was  a  large  body  of 
troops,  under  Laval.  ' '  Where  is  La  Pena  ? "  was  the 
first  exclamation  of  our  commander,  as,  casting  his 
eye  rapidly  around,  he  could  nowhere  see  the  least 
trace  of  him.  It  was  impossible  that  he  could  have 
been  defeated.  The.  cannonade  would  have  been 
heard,  or  at  least  some  fugitives  have  taken  the 
direction  of  our  army.  Slowly  the  conviction  forced 
itself  upon  his  mind  that  he  had  been  deserted.  A 
general  burst  of  indignation  ran  along  our  lines  ;  but 
short  time  was  allowed  for  feelings  like  these.  Only 
one  alternative  existed,  —  a  hasty  retreat,  or  an 
immediate  attack.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that 
Graham  chose  the  latter. 

Ten  guns  immediately  opened  their  fire  upon 
Laval's  troops,  and  were  promptly  answered  back  by 
the  artillery  of  the  French.  No  time  was  given  to 
the  British  to  form  Avith  any  attention  to  regiments ; 
but,  hastily  dividing  themselves  into  two  masses,  they 
rushed  to  the  attack.  The  charge  on  the  left  was, 
indeed,  a  furious  one,  for  we  felt  that  conquest  or 
death  was  the  alternative.  It  was  bravely  met, 
however,  on  the  part  of  the  French.  After  the  first 
discharge  of  artillery,  the  soldiers  pressed  rapidly 
onward,  and  were  soon  mingled  with  the  foe  in  fierce 
and  deadly  conflict.  The  front  ranks  of  the  French 
were  pressed  back  upon  the  second  line,  which,  un- 
able to  withstand  the  shock,  was  broken  in  the  same 
manner,  and  scattered  in  much  confusion,  only  the 
chosen  battalion  remaining  to  cover  the  retreat. 


BATTLE    OF    BAR06SA.  133 

Euffin,  who  commanded  the  enemy  on  the  right, 
had  stationed  his  troops  just  within  the  wood,  where 
they  awaited,  in  perfect  order,  the  division  under 
Brown,  who  rushed  with  headlong  haste  to  the  con- 
test. When  they  had  nearly  reached  the  wood,  they 
discharged  their  musketry.  Nearly  half  of  Brown's 
detachment  fell  at  the  first  fire ;  yet,  nothing  daunted, 
the  remainder  maintained  their  ground,  until  another 
detachment  came  to  their  aid.  Then,  mingling  close 
in  the  dreadful  combat,  they  pressed  together  to  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  without  either  party  gaining  a 
decided  advantage.  Here  the  contest  continued, 
with  more  bravery  than  before.  The  issue  still  re- 
mained quite  doubtful,  when  the  British,  retiring  a 
short  distance,  again  rushed  to  the  attack.  Ruffin 
and  Rousseau,  the  French  leaders,  both  fell,  mortaUy 
wounded,  and  the  French  were  obliged  to  retire, 
leaving  three  of  their  guns  in  possession  of  their 
enemies.  Discomfited  but  not  disheartened,  they 
withdrew  again,  re-formed,  and  rushed  to  the  attack. 
But  they  found  no  slumbering  foe.  Our  guns  were 
well  manned.  Their  fire  was  reserved  until  the 
enemy  were  close  at  hand,  and  then  they  were 
allowed  to  tell  upon  that  living  mass.  The  execu- 
tion was  terrible.  Closely  and  rapidly,  discharge 
followed  discharge.  Again  and  again  were  they 
summoned  to  the  attack  ;  but  the  lines  had  hardly 
closed  over  their  dying  comrades,  when  another 
volley  would  again  send  confusion  and  death  among 
the  advancing  ranks.     Victor  saw  it  was  useless  to 


134     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES    O'NEIL. 

struggle  longer.  The  trumpet  sounded,  the  contest 
stopped,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  the  English  were 
again  undisputed  masters  of  Barossa. 

And  where,  during  this  conflict,  were  the  Spanish 
troops,  in  whose  cause  the  British  were  so  freely 
lavishing,  not  only  treasure,  but  their  own  lives? 
Scarcely  three  miles  away,  the  report  of  every  round 
of  musketry  reached  La  Pena's  ears.  He  knew  that 
his  ally  was  placed  under  great  disadvantages  ;  yet 
he  could  look  idly  on,  not  knowing,  scarcely  caring, 
apparently,  how  the  contest  should  be  decided.  In 
vain  did  many  of  his  brave  troops  mount  their 
chargers,  and  wait  only  for  the  word  of  command  to 
rush  upon  the  enemy.  He  listened  neither  to  the 
voice  of  honor  nor  to  the  entreaties  of  his  officers, 
nor  to  the  ill-repressed  murmurings  of  the  soldiery. 
No  stroke  in  aid  of  the  British  was  struck  by  a 
Spanish  sabre  that  day ;  although  one  or  two 
regiments,  unable  longer  to  contain  their  indignation, 
left  without  orders,  and  came  up  in  season  to  witness 
the  defeat  of  the  French.  And  thus  terminated  the 
attack  on  Barossa.  Scarcely  two  hours  had  passed 
from  the  first  alarm  before  the  French  were  retreat- 
ing beyond  our  reach,  for  our  troops  were  too  much 
exhausted  by  their  twenty-two  hours'  march,  and 
their  still  longer  fast,  to  think  of  pursuing.  Yet, 
short  as  the  conflict  was,  the  terrible  evidences  of  its 
fatality  lay  all  around  us.  Fifty  officers,  sixty 
sergeants,  and  more  than  eleven  hundred  British 
soldiers,  had  fallen,  while  two  thousand  of  the  enemy 


THE   FIELD    OF   VICTORY.  135 

were  either  killed  or  wounded.  Six  guns,  an  eagle, 
two  generals  mortally  wounded,  and  four  hundred 
prisoners,  feU  into  the  power  of  the  English.  La 
Pena's  conduct  during  this  battle  was  complained  of 
by  our  commander,  and  the  Spanish  cortes  went 
through  the  forms  of  arresting  him  ;  but  he  was  soon 
after  released,  without  investigation,  and  published 
what  he  called  his  justification,  in  which  he  blamed 
Graham  severely  for  his  disobedience  of  orders. 

When  the  last  of  the  enemy  had  disappeared  in 
the  distance,  the  troops  were  all  summoned  to  the 
field  of  battle.  We  collected  there,  and  gazed 
around  with  saddened  hearts.  Four  hours  ago,  and 
there  was  not  one,  of  all  that  now  lay  lifeless  on  that 
bloody  field,  whose  heart  did  not  beat  as  high  as  our 
own,  whose  hopes  were  not  as  brilliant ;  and  yet, 
their  sun  had  now  set  forever !  I  know  of  no  sadder 
scene  than  a  field  of  battle  presents  soon  after  the 
conflict,  even  though  the  glorious  result  may  have 
filled  our  hearts  with  joy.  When  the  roll  is  called, 
and  name  after  name  uttered  without  response,  it 
cannot  but  awaken  the  deepest  sensibility  in  the 
heart  of  the  survivors.  And  then  the  hasty  burial 
of  the  dead,  and  the  hurried  sending  off  the 
wounded,  the  surgeon's  necessary  operations,  and  the 
groans  of  the  sufferers,  all  make  us  feel  that  these 
are  the  horrors  of  war.  Before  the  battle  is  the 
rapid  marching  and  counter-marching,  and  the  en- 
livening strains  of  martial  music,  the  encouraging 
words  of  the  officers, — more  than  all,  the  excitement 
12* 


136     MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

which  must  exist  in  such  a  scene, — and  all  these  serve 
to  elevate  and  sustain  the  spirits.  During  the  con- 
test the  excitement  increases,  until  all  sense  of  fear 
and  danger  is  lost.  But  one  thing  is  seen — the  foe; 
— but  one  object  exists — to  conquer.  When  all 
these  have  passed  away,  and  there  is  no  longer  aught 
to  excite,  then  the  eye  opens  on  stem  and  dread 
reality,  and  we  realize  what  we  have  escaped,  and 
the  pain  and  suffering  ever  attendant  on  such  scenes. 
There  is  something  awfully  trying  to  the  soul,  when 
the  last  sad  rites  are  being  performed  for  those  so 
lately  buoyant  in  life  and  health, —  especially  when 
we  meet  with  the  corpses  of  those  we  have  known 
and  loved.  I  have  seen  many  affecting  instances  of 
such  recognitions.  Among  others  that  I  might 
name,  is  that  of  a  French  captain  of  dragoons,  who 
came  over  after  the  battle  with  a  trumpet,  and 
requested  permission  -to  search  among  the  dead  for 
his  colonel.  His  regiment  was  a  fine  one,  with 
bright  brass  helmets  and  black  horse-hair,  bearing 
a  strong  resemblance  to  the  costume  of  the  ancient 
Romans.  Many  of  our  own  soldiers  accompanied 
him  in  his  melancholy  search.  It  was  long  before 
we  found  the  French  colonel,  for  he  was  lying  on  his 
face,  his  naked  body  weltering  in  blood.  As  soon 
as  he  was  turned  over,  the  captaiu  recognized  him. 
He  uttered  a  sort  of  agonizing  scream,  sprang  off  his 
horse,  dashed  his  helmet  on  the  ground,  knelt  by  the 
body,  and,  taking  the  bloody  hand  in  his  own,  kissed 
it  many  times,  in  an  agony  of  grief.     He  seemed 


REJOICINGS   OVER   THE   VICTORY.  137 

entirely  to  forget,  in  his  sorrow,  that  any  one  was 
present.  We  afterwards  learned  that  the  colonel 
had,  in  his  youth,  done  him  a  great  service,  by  releas- 
ing him  from  the  police  when  evil  company  had  led 
him  to  the  commission  of  some  crime.  It  was  his 
first  act  of  the  kind  ;  and  gratitude  to  the  colonel  led 
to  an  immediate  enlistment  in  his  corps.  From  that 
hour  he  had  been  to  the  captain  as  a  father,  and  it 
was  through  his  influence  that  he  had  attained  his 
present  rank  in  the  army.  The  scene  was  truly  an 
affecting  one  ;  and  it  was  with  feelings  of  deep 
sympathy  that  we  assisted  him  in  committing  the 
body  to  the  earth. 

Our  gallant  commander  remained  on  the  field  of 
battle  all  that  day ;  and  when  all  the  last  sad  duties 
were  performed,  and  as  many  of  the  commissariat 
mules  as  could  be  found  were  gathered  in,  we  marched 
jfrom  the  scene  of  our  late  victory,  and  took  up  our 
position  behind  the  Ma.  The  news  of  our  victory 
was  received  in  England  with  much  joy,  and  our  own 
regiment,  the  28th,  was  spoken  of  with  peculiar 
honor.  These  contests  in  Spain  called  forth  much 
newspaper  praise,  and  awakened  the  lyre  of  many 
a  poet  in  the  halls  of  old  England.  Perhaps  the  fol- 
lowing lines  from  Southey,  written  on  this  battle, 
may  be  acceptable  to  the  reader  : 

"  Though  the  four  quarters  of  the  world  have  seen 
The  British  valor  proved  triTimphantly 
Upon  the  French,  in  many  a  field  far  famed, 
Yet  may  the  noble  island  in  her  rolls 
Of  glory  write  Barossa's  name.     For  there 


138    MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

Not  by  the  Lssue  of  deliberate  plans, 

Consulted  well,  was  the  fierce  conflict  won, — 

Nor  by  the  leader's  eye  intuitive, 

Nor  force  of  either  arm  of  war,  nor  art 

Of  skilled  artillerist,  nor  the  discipline 

Of  troops  to  absolute  obedience  trained, — 

But  by  the  spring  and  impulse  of  the  heart, 

Brought  fairly  to  the  trial,  when  all  else 

Seemed  like  a  wrestler's  garment  thrown  aside. 

By  individual  courage,  and  the  sense 

Of  honor,  their  old  country's  and  their  own. 

There  to  be  forfeited,  or  there  upheld,  — 

This  warmed  the  soldier's  soul,  and  gave  his  hand 

The  strength  that  carries  with  it  victory. 

More  to  enhance  their  praise,  the  day  was  fought 

Against  all  circumstance  ;  a  painful  march 

Through  twenty  hours  of  night  and  day  prolonged 

Forespent  the  British  troops,  and  hope  delayed 

Had  left  their  spirits  palled.     But  when  the  word 

Was  given  to  turn,  and  charge,  and  win  the  heights. 

The  welcome  order  came  to  them  like  rain 

Upon  a  traveller  in  the  thirsty  sands. 

Rejoicing,  up  the  ascent,  and  in  the  front 

Of  danger,  they  with  steady  step  advanced. 

And  with  the  insupportable  bayonet 

Drove  down  the  foe.     The  vanquished  victor  saw. 

And  thought  of  Talavera,  and  deplored 

His  eagle  lost.     But  England  saw,  well  pleased. 

Her  old  ascendency  that  day  sustained ; 

And  Scotland,  shouting  over  all  her  hills, 

Among  her  worthies  ranked  another  Graham." 

The  brilliant  success  gained  on  the  heights  of  Ba- 
rossa  was  but  the  prelude  of  other  victories.  The 
star  of  Napoleon,  so  long  in  the  ascendant,  had  begun 
to  decline  in  the  horizon.  ObHged  to  draw  off  many 
of  his  troops,  those  that  remained  felt  the  want  of  his 
guiding  hand.  Division  reigned  in  the  councils  of 
his  generals ;  and  the  British  leader,  ever  ready  to 
take  advantage,  and  ever  on  the  watch  for  opportu- 


GREAT  PRIVATION.  139 

nity,  saw  his  favorable  moment,  and  followed  it  up. 
The  French  had  retreated  from  Portugal,  foUowed  at 
every  step  by  the  army  of  the  English.  After  the 
battle  of  Barossa,  Graham  had  withdrawn  from  the 
command  of  our  army,  and  joined  that  of  Wellington, 
whUe  Sir  Thomas  Picton  took  his  place.  We  re- 
mained for  a  number  of  days  near  our  position,  whUe 
these  changes  were  taking  place,  and  then  orders 
arrived  that  we  should  proceed  at  once  to  the  moun- 
tains of  the  Sierra  Morena,  to  assist  in  harassing  the 
retreat  of  the  French.  We  had  scarcely  commenced 
our  march  when  our  provisions  began  to  fail,  owing 
to  the  conduct  of  the  Portuguese  government,  who 
would  not  supply  their  troops  with  provisions ;  and 
so  they  were  unable  to  continue  the  pursuit,  while 
numbers  were  perishing  for  want  of  food.  Our  gen- 
erals could  not  see  their  allies  suffering  thus,  and  our 
own  supplies  were  shared  with  them,  and  we  were  all 
put  upon  short  allowance.  Half  a  pound  of  bread, 
and  half  a  pound  of  salt  pork,  was  aU  that  we  received 
for  a  day's  provision.  And  we  were  ascending 
mountains  covered  with  woods  and  deep  forests,  in- 
fested by  guerillas,  who  often  fell  upon  and  murdered 
our  men,  if  they  strayed  away  from  the  ranks.  To 
prevent  this  was  impossible ;  for,  if  there  were  pro- 
visions in  the  country,  men  in  our  starving  condition 
would  not  fail  to  obtain  them ;  but  scarcely  anything 
could  be  found,  at  this  season.  The  French  army 
were  also  suffering  for  want  of  food,  and,  as  they 
preceded  us  in  their  retreat,  they  either  devoured  or 


140       MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLEa   o'NEIL. 

destroyed  everything  that  could  sustain  life.  The 
poor  peasants  on  their  route  fled  from  their  homes, 
and  shrunk  equally  from  French  and  English,  for 
they  well  knew  that  either  would  equally  deprive 
them  of  the  little  they  possessed.  The  sufferings  of 
the  peasantry  were  truly  terrible.  In  the  third  day 
of  our  march,  a  scene  occurred  which  I  shall  never 
forget.  We  were  slowly  toiling  up  a  huge  mountain, 
so  exhausted,  from  fatigue  and  want,  that  we  could 
hardly  proceed.  When  about  half-way  to  the  sum- 
mit, we  perceived  before  us  a  large  house.  Some 
of  our  men  hastened  to  it  at  once,  hoping  to  procure 
some  provision.  The  slight  fastenings  of  the  door 
soon  yielded  to  their  eager  haste,  and  they  were 
about  to  rush  in,  when  their  steps  were  arrested  by 
the  misery  the  scene  presented.  The  floor  was  cov- 
ered with  persons  in  a  state  of  actual  starvation. 
Thirty  women  and  children  had  already  expired; 
and,  scattered  around  among  the  corpses,  lay  fifteen 
or  sixteen  more  wretched  beings,  still  breathing,  but 
unable  to  speak.  Hungry  as  we  were,  the  hearts  of 
the  soldiers  were  moved  at  the  scene,  and  our  next 
day's  provision  was  cheerfuUy  contributed  to  rescue 
them  from  death.  But  this  kindness  could  only  delay 
their  fate.  They  were  too  weak  to  seek  for  more 
food ;  they  had  scarcely  strength  to  eat  the  little  we 
could  offer  them  ;  and  it  is  more  than  probable  that 
every  one  perished. 

The  next  day  my  comrade,  who  had  been  fast  fail- 
ing, declared  himself  unable  to  proceed.     He  was  a 


SINGULAR   INCroENT.  141 

fine  fellow, —  one  that  I  had  known  in  Ireland,  and  to 
whom  I  was  much  attached.  Feeble  as  we  were,  we 
could  not  leave  him  behind,  and  we  carried  him  a 
short  distance ;  but  he  soon  died.  Permission  was 
given  us  to  carry  him  a  little  way  from  the  camp 
to  bury  him.  We  hollowed  out  a  shallow  grave, 
wrapped  him  in  his  blanket,  and  left  him  to  his  fate. 
Near  the  spot  where  we  interred  him  was  a  small 
house,  which  we  entered,  and  were  fortunate  enough 
to  obtain  a  little  wine.  While  in  the  house,  we  heard 
a  scream,  as  of  fear.  We  hastened  out,  and  saw 
several  of  our  soldiers  running  swiftly  towards  the 
camp,  from  the  place  where  we  had  interred  our 
comrade.  They  had  dug  him  up,  for  the  purpose  of 
robbing  him  of  his  blanket.  As  they  were  ripping 
it  open,  the  knife  entered  the  flesh,  and  he  began  to 
struggle.  It  was  this  that  had  so  frightened  them. 
We  went  to  the  poor  fellow,  finished  removing  his 
blanket,  and  found  that  he  was  stiU  aUve.  Want 
and  fatigue  had  produced  a  state  of  insensibility 
resembling  death,  from  which  he  had  been  aroused 
by  the  pain  of  his  wound.  We  shared  with  him  the 
little  wine  we  had  obtained,  which  so  revived  him 
that  he  was  able  to  accompany  us  back  from  his  own 
funeral.  He  soon  after  recovered,  and  returned  home 
to  Ireland. 

A  day  or  two  after  this  occurrence,  I  left  the 
company,  with  one  of  my  companions,  and  went 
higher  up  the  mountain,  in  search  of  wild  pigs,  which 
are  sometimes  found  there.      This  was  absolutely 


142     MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

against  our  orders;  but,  as  we  were  literally  starving 
to  death,  the  consequences  of  disobedience,  and  the 
dangers  of  our  journey*  weighed  but  little  in  the  bal- 
ance. I  agreed  to  search  one  side  of  the  mountain, 
while  he  ascended  the  other,  and  we  were  to  meet 
at  the  top.  When  about  half-way  up  the  mountain, 
I  was  stopped  by  a  ball  whizzing  close  past  my  ear. 
Thinking  that  it  might  be  my  comrade,  who  did  not 
see  me,  I  turned,  and,  looking  around,  soon  saw  the 
green  feather  of  my  assailant,  projecting  over  a  rock. 
At  this  I  was  somewhat  alarmed ;  for  he  was  so  com- 
pletely hid  behind  the  rock  that  I  could  not  fire  at 
him,  and  I  knew  that  he  was  reloading  his  musket. 
In  a  moment  more  he  fired  again,  but,  fortunately  for 
me,  his  musket  flashed  in  the  pan.  There  was  still 
only  his  feather  in  sight ;  at  this  I  fired,  and  struck 
it.  I  then  reloaded  as  hastily  as  possible,  and  ad- 
vanced cautiously  up  the  mountain,  hoping  to  get 
sight  of  him.  As  I  was  coming  round  the  point  of 
the  rock,  he  sprang  forward,  laid  down  his  gun, 
spread  out  his  arms,  and  exposed  himself  to  my  shot. 
I  knew,  by  his  motions,  that  he  had  no  ammunition, 
and  as  I  had  no  desire  to  kill  him,  I  fixed  my  bay- 
onet on  my  gun,  as  if  I  would  make  a  charge,  and 
then  advanced  towards  him,  in  a  friendly  manner. 
But,  when  I  was  within  twice  the  length  of  my  gun 
from  him,  he  picked  up  his  musket  and  attacked  me. 
Darting  back  to  avoid  his  bayonet,  I  fired  my  own 
gun,  and  he  fell  to  the  ground.  I  examined  his 
knapsack,  and  found  that  it  bore  the  mark  of  the  95th 


EFFORTS   TO    OBTAIN   FOOD.  143 

rifle  brigade  of  our  own  division.     He  was  a  guerilla, 
and  had  doubtless  killed  the  man  whose  knapsack  he 
bore.     I  examined  his  canteen,  and  found,  to  my 
great  surprise,  a  pint  of  Jamaica  brandy.     In  my 
exhausted  state,  this  was  a  discovery  which  gave  me 
the  greatest  pleasure.     I  took  some  of  it,  and,  feel- 
ing quite  refreshed,  pursued  my  search  for  game. 
I  had  not  gone  far  before  I  discovered  a  small  pig, 
which  I  succeeded  in  shooting.     This  I  carried  with 
me  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  where  I  found  my 
comrade  awaiting  me.     He  had  been  less  successful 
than  myself,  having  found  nothing.     He  asked  me 
how  I  had  fared.     I  told  him  that  I  had  shot  an  old 
hog  and  a  little  pig,  at  which  he   expressed  great 
pleasure.     I  then  showed  him  the  contents  of  the 
canteen,  which  he  joyfully  shared  with  me ;  and, 
having  related  my  adventure,  we  retraced  our  steps 
to  the  camp.     We  concealed  our  treasure  as  well  as 
we  were  able ;  but,  notwithstanding  all  our  care,  the 
first  person  we  saw,  on  our  return,  was  the  adjutant. 
He  came  up  to  us,  and  demanded  where  we  had 
been.     Upon  the  mountain,  in  search  of  food,  was 
my  reply.     He  told  me,  if  he  should  report  us,  as  he 
was  required  to  do,  we  should  be  shot  for  disobeying 
orders.    I  answered,  that  it  made  little  difference  with 
us ;  it  would  only  hasten  affairs,  as  it  was  impossible 
to  survive  much  longer  without  food.     "  Did  you 
find  any  ?"  he  asked.     We  showed  him  our  prize. 
He  would  gladly  have  purchased  it  of  us ;   but  food, 
in  our  condition,  was  far  more  precious  than  money, 
13 


144      MILITARY  ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

and  we  refused  his  offer  of  a  doubloon,  with  the 
assurance  that  five  would  be  no  temptation  to  part 
with  it.  But,  on  arrival  at  our  quarters,  as  we  were 
cutting  up  the  pig,  gratitude  for  his  kindness,  in  not 
reporting  us,  so  far  overcame  our  selfishness,  that  we 
sent  him  a  quarter  of  it.  The  remainder  made  our 
iness  a  fine  meal ;  and  we  certainly  were  never  in  a 
better  condition  to  estimate  the  value  of  food  than 
when  we  devoured  the  little  pig  of  the  Morena. 

I  have  alluded  to  the  annoyance  by  guerillas,  or, 
as  they  were  sometimes  called,  Partidas.  These  were 
principally,  at  first,  Spanish  peasants,  who,  unable  to 
present  any  efficient  force  against  the  French,  and 
unwilhng  to  submit  to  them,  threw  themselves  into 
the  mountains,  and,  being  well  acquainted  with  all 
the  passes  and  hiding-places,  did  the  French  much 
damage,  by  cutting  off  their  communications,  robbing 
their  stores,  and  murdering  every  one  who  dared  to 
stray  from  the  main  army.  As  the  war  proceeded, 
their  numbers  were  enlarged  by  all  those  who  were 
weary  of  the  restraints  of  law ;  —  every  robber  that 
feared  a  jail,  or  could  break  from  one ;  every  smug- 
gler whose  trade  had  been  interrupted, —  and  there 
were  thousands  of  these,  as  there  still  are,  in  Spain; 
every  one  who  was  weary  of  the  restraints  of  his 
life,  and  sought  for  excitement ;  and  all  idlers 
who  preferred  the  wild  and  reckless  daring  of  these 
troops  to  the  drill  and  watch  of  the  army,  were  found 
either  as  associate  or  chief  in  these  bands.  They 
soon  became  regularly  organized,  chose  their  chiefs, 


GUERILLAS.  145 

and  had  watchwords,  by  which  they  could  obtain  a 
safe  pass  all  over  the  country.  They  were  profess- 
edly our  allies,  but  they  were  almost  as  much  a  ter- 
ror to  us  as  to  our  foes.  They  proved,  however, 
invaluable  to  our  army,  as  a  means  of  communication 
with  each  other,  and  as  spies  on  the  movements  of 
our  enemies.  It  was  impossible  for  the  French  to 
communicate  with  each  other  at  all,  except  by  send- 
ing strong  escorts,  and  these  were  often  cut  off; 
while,  on  our  side,  news  could  be  sent  with  almost 
the  rapidity  of  telegraph,  and  this  undoubtedly  was 
a  great  advantage  to  us.  The  chiefs  of  these  bands 
were  often  obliged  to  procure  subsistence  and  treas- 
ure for  themselves,  by  robbing  their  own  country- 
men ;  and,  indeed,  one  of  the  principal  causes  of  the 
sudden  growth  of  these  bands  was  the  hope  of  inter- 
cepting the  public  and  private  plate,  which  was 
being  carried  from  all  parts  of  Spain  to  be  coined 
into  money.  Yet,  though  most  of  the  bands  were 
worthless  characters,  there  were  some  among  them 
of  more  noble  spirit.  Some  were  actuated  by  re- 
venge —  some  by  a  gallant,  enterprising  spirit  — 
and  a  few  by  an  honest  ambition  to  serve  their  coun- 
try. 

Our  troops  often  met  with  many  adventures  with 
these  foes ;  and  many  were  the  weary  hours,  in  our 
toilsome  marches,  that  were  beguiled  by  the  recital 
of  their  hair-breadth  escapes,  or  their  own  wonderful 
adventures.     Some  of  these  were  of  so  much  inter- 


146      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF  "CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

est  that  I  cannot  refrain  from  a  desire  to  recount  a 
few  to  my  readers. 

Don  Julian  Sanchez  was  the  son  of  a  farmer,  on 
the  hanks  of  the  Guebra.  The  Httle  cottage  where 
he  resided,  with  his  parents  and  one  sister,  was  the 
abode  of  happiness  and  plenty.  In  an  evil  hour,  the 
French  army  passed  that  way.  Their  cattle  were 
driven  away  and  slaughtered,  and  their  little  harvest, 
just  reaped,  became^  the  prey  of  the  plunderers. 
Terrified  and  despairing,  Julian  fled,  with  his  parents 
and  sister,  to  the  woods.  But  his  parents  were  .old, 
and,  before  they  could  reach  the  shelter  of  the  wood, 
they  were  overtaken,  carried  back  to  the  cottage,  and 
murdered,  in  cold  blood,  on  their  own  hearthstone. 
Julian  and  his  sister  concealed  themselves  in  a  cave ; 
but  the  next  day  he  left  her  there,  and  went  to  see 
if  he  could  obtain  any  trace  of  his  parents.  Direct- 
ing his  course  to  their  little  cottage,  he  found  their 
murdered  corpses.  Eevenge  and  anger,  in  a  spirit 
like  Julian's,  was  deep,  not  loud.  He  shed  no  tear, 
uttered  no  complaint, —  but  calmly  proceeded  to 
inter  the  bodies  of  his  parents  in  a  humble  grave. 
Then,  kneeling  on  the  sod,  he  swore  revenge  on  their 
murderers, —  a  revenge  which  should  be  followed  till 
his  latest  breath.  He  returned  to  his  sister ;  but,  as 
he  approached  the  cave  where  he  had  left  her,  what 
a  sight  met  his  view  !  A  party  of  the  hated  army 
were  just  issuing  from  its  precincts.  The  body  of 
his  beautiful  sister  lay  on  the  ground  naked,  —  dis- 
honored,—  the  victim  of  a  vile   outrage.      Julian 


A  guerilla's  vengeance.  147 

gazed  for  a  moment  on  the  scene.  He  had  no  time 
for  tears,  and  he  had  sworn  to  live  for  revenge,  —  a 
vow  which  now  burned  itself  in  deeper  characters 
upon  his  soul.  He  turned  away.  A  huge  rock  over- 
hung the  cave.  He  ascended  it,  and,  secreting  him- 
self in  a  little  fissure  where  he  could  be  heard,  not 
seen,  he  gazed  for  a  few  moments  on  the  chief  of 
the  band,  till  every  line  of  his  countenance  was  im- 
pressed on  his  soul.  Then,  calling  to  him  from  the 
rock,  he  said,  "  You  hear  me,  but  you  see  me  not.  I 
am  a  Spaniard,  the  son  of  those  parents  you  mur- 
dered yesterday  —  the  brother  of  her  whose  corpse 
lies  before  you.  You  are  their  murderer ;  and  I  swear, 
by  the  Holy  Virgin,  that  I  will  never  lose  sight  for 
one  day  of  your_path,  until  my  hands  are  imbrued  in 
your  heart's  best  blood !  You  may  think  to  escape 
me  ;   but  remember,  you  shall  die  by  my  hand  ! " 

In  a  moment,  the  troops  of  the  French  were  on  the 
rock.  They  searched  everywhere  for  the  speaker, 
but  no  trace  of  him  could  be  found,  until,  just  as  they 
had  relinquished  their  search,  one  of  the  number  fell 
dead  by  the  blow  of  an  unseen  assassin.  He  was 
the  first  of  the  band  that  fell.  Months  passed  away. 
Julian  had  never  since  met  his  foe  ;  but  the  frequent 
death  of  his  followers,  and  the  daring  exploits  of 
robbery  that  were  constantly  performing  in  his  camp, 
often  called  to  mind  the  voice  he  had  heard.  A  few 
months  after,  in  battle,  this  officer  was  attacked,  and 
would  have  been  killed,  had  not  a  Spaniard  saved  his 
life,  at  the  risk  of  his  own.  He  turned  to  thank  hia 
13* 


148      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

unknown  deliverer,  but  was  met  with  so  fierce  a 
look  of  hate,  that  he  involuntarily  shrunk  from  it. 
"I  desire  no  thanks,"  said  the  Spaniard;  "your 
life  is  mine,  and  none  but  me  shall  take  it."  The 
voice  was  recognized,  but  its  owner  had  glided  away 
in  the  confusion.  A  year  had  elapsed,  when  this 
officer  was  again  sent  to  the  banks  of  the  Guebra, 
and  took  up  his  quarters  in  the  very  house  Julian's 
father  formerly  occupied.  The  first  night  of  his  stop 
there  was  enlivened  by  the  arrival  of  four  of  the 
same  party  who  had  met  with  him  the  year  before. 
In  joyous  mood,  they  had  seated  themselves  around 
'the  table,  and  were  discussing  the  events  of  the  cam- 
paign. Suddenly  they  were  startled  by  a  deep  voice, 
which  the  officer  had  cause  to  remember,  and  Julian, 
with  four  of  his  associates,  glided  into  the  room.  So 
sudden,  so  unexpected,  was  the  attack,  that  they  had 
not  time  to  grasp  their  swords,  ere  they  were  pin- 
ioned and  led  away.  Julian  and  the  chief  alone 
remained.  "  Look  at  me,"  said  Julian  ;  "do  you 
know  me  ?  In  this  very  room,  a  year  ago,  my  parents 
fell  by  your  murderous  hand.  The  stain  of  their 
blood  still  remains  to  witness  against  you.  In  that 
wood  lies  the  corpse  of  my  idolized  and  only  sister. 
You  were  her  assassin.  You  heard  my  vow.  Not 
for  one  day  have  I  left  your  steps.  Twice  have  I 
warded  death  from  your  head  ;  but  when  I  saw  you 
desecrate  again  this  hearthstone  by  your  accursed 
presence,  I  knew  that  your  time  had  come.  French- 
man, prepare  to  die !" 


A  guerilla's  vengeance.  149 

After  the  death  of  this  man,  Julian  succeeded  in 
organizing  a  regular  band.  At  the  head  of  these, 
he  would  again  and  again  assault  the  enemy,  even 
though  they  outnumbered  his  own  band  many 
times.  Another  instance  of  his  daring  intrepidity, 
at  a  time  when  we  were  suffering  for  want  of  pro- 
visions, and  of  the  patience  with  which  he  followed 
up  his  designs,  deserves  to  be  recorded.  It  was  the 
custom  of  the  French  garrison  to  send  out  their  cattle 
beyond  the  walls  every  morning,  for  the  purpose  of 
grazing,  under  the  protection  of  a  guard,  which  at 
once  kept  them  from  wandering  too  far,  and  also 
watched  the  movements  of  the  Spanish  army.  Don 
JuUan  determined,  if  possible,  to  surprise  the  herd. 
For  this  purpose,  he  concealed  himself,  with  his  band, 
day  after  day,  among  the  broken  ground,  near  the 
river.  But  the  guard  was  still  too  powerful  and  vig- 
ilant to  allow  him  to  make  the  attempt.  At  length, 
as  if  to  reward  him  for  his  patience,  fortune  threw 
in  his  way,  not  only  the  object  for  which  he  sought, 
but  one  of  far  more  importance  to  him.  On  a  certain 
day,  the  governor  of  the  place  where  the  garrison 
was  stationed  came  out,  accompanied  by  a  very 
slender  escort,  and  ventured  imprudently  to  cross 
the  river,  at  the  self-same  spot  where  Julian  lay  con- 
cealed. He  was  instantly  surrounded,  and  made 
prisoner.  Almost  at  the  same  moment,  the  cattle, 
frightened  by  the  explosion  of  a  shell  which  fell 
among  them,  ran  towards  the  river.  The  guard  fol- 
lowed, but  overtook  them  at  such  a  distance  from  the 


150      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'nEEL. 

city,  that  Julian  thought  himself  justified  in  making 
the  attack.  It  was  attended  with  perfect  success, 
and  governor  and  cattle  were  conveyed  in  triumph 
to  the  British  headquarters. 

Another  of  these  chiefs  was  named  Juan  Martin 
Diaz,  or  the  ' '  Empecinado. ' '     When  the  news  of  the 
detention  of    Ferdinand   at   Bayonne  first  reached 
Spain,  he  was  engaged  as  a  farmer.     Young,  ardent, 
and  daring,  he  threw  aside  his  plough,  and  persuaded 
a  neighboring  youth,  only  sixteen,  to  join  him.    Their 
first  object  was  to  procure  horses  and  arms.     They 
took  post  upon  the  high  road  from  France  to  Madrid, 
for  the  purpose  of  intercepting  the  French  couriers. 
An  occasion  soon  occurred.     A  party  of  six  men 
were  riding  past  a  narrow  defile.     An  old  woman 
went  out  and  arrested  the  progress  of  the  last  two, 
by  offering  them  some  fruit  for  sale.     She  detained 
them  until  the  others  were  in  advance  some  distance ; 
then  the  two  youths  fired  from  their  covert,  and  their 
victims  fell.     Long   before  the  others  returned  for 
their  comrades,  their  horses  and  arms  were  far  away. 
These  boys  were  soon  joined  by  others,  of  which 
Juan  was  the  chief ;   and,  as  he  grew  older  and  had 
more  experience,  his  band  increased,  until  it  num- 
bered one  thousand  five  hundred  men.     With  these 
he  performed  the  most  daring  exploits,  cutting  off 
supplies,  and  intercepting  convoys.     By  his  intelli- 
gence, activity,  and  bravery,  he  was  enabled  to  do 
the  enemy  much  mischief     In  vain  were  armies  sent 
to  surround  his  band.     They  concealed  themselves  in 


DARING   EXPLOIT   OF   JUAN   MARTIN   DIAZ.        151 

their  fastnesses,  and  baffled  them  all,  until  his  very 
name  became  a  terror  to  the  French  armies.  He 
gave  no  quarter  to  the  conquered  ;  and  such  was  his 
discipline  of  his  followers,  and  his  generosity  in  the 
division  of  the  spoils,  that  he  became  the  idol  of 
his  band,  and  they  were  willing  to  undertake  any 
exploit  at  his  bidding. 

A  convoy  was  conveying,  in  a  carriage,  a  lady,  a 
relative  of  Marshal  Moncey.  The  coach  was  escorted 
by  twelve  soldiers,  in  the  centre  of  two  columns  of 
six  thousand  each,  about  a  mile  asunder.  The  Em- 
pecinado,  with  only  eight  of  his  followers,  was  con- 
cealed close  to  the  town  of  Caraveas.  He  allowed 
the  leading  column  to  pass,  then  boldly  rushed  upon 
the  convoy,  put  to  death  the  whole  of  the  escort, 
seized  and  carried  off  the  carriage  ;  and,  when  the 
alarm  was  given,  Martin  and  his  prize  were  in  safety 
in  the  mountains,  where  he  effectually  eluded  the 
search  made  after  him.  He  saved  the  life  of  the 
lady,  who  was  sent  to  his  own  house,  and  had  every 
attention  paid  her.  This  convoy  was  a  very  rich 
prize  of  money  and  jewels.  This  he  divided  among 
his  men,  reserving  only  a  small  share  for  himself. 
He  often  met  with  very  narrow  escapes.  On  one  ' 
occasion,  he  was  unhorsed  and  disarmed,  and  the 
sword  of  his  opponent  passed  through  his  arm,  and 
entered  his  side.  His  wound  seemed  to  give  him 
new  courage.  He  suddenly  sprang  at  his  foe,  and, 
seizing  him  by  the  neck,  dragged  him  to  the  ground. 
He  fell  with  him,  however,  but  continued  to  keep 


162      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

uppermost.  The  other  refusing  to  surrender,  the 
Empecinado  held  him  fast  with  one  hand,  while  with 
the  other  he  snatched  up  a  stone,  and  beat  him  to 
death.  On  another  occasion,  he  was  nearly  made 
prisoner  hy  some  Spanish  troops  in  the  pay  of  the 
French;  and,  finding  every  other  hope  of  escape 
impossible,  he  threw  himself  down  an  immense  preci- 
pice, rather  than  fall  into  their  hands.  His  fall 
was  broken  by  the  projecting  limbs  of  trees,  covered 
with  very  thick  foliage.  He  was  discovered  here  by 
one  of  his  followers,  and  taken  home.  He  recovered 
finally,  after  suffering  a  severe  illness,  which  for  some 
time  prevented  his  taking  the  field. 

The  most  distinguished  of  these  courageous  lead- 
ers was  Xavier  Mina.  He  was  a  student  at  Pam- 
plona when  the  revolution  broke  out.  His  father  was 
a  considerable  land-owner,  and  deputy  for  one  of  the 
valleys  of  Navarre.  Some  act  of  injustice,  prac- 
tised towards  his  father,  had  driven  young  Xavier 
to  desperation.  His  resolution  was  taken.  He 
threw  aside  his  studies,  went  to  his  native  village, 
and,  summoning  around  him  the  young  men  qf  his 
acquaintance,  related  his  wrongs,  and  urged  them  to 
join  him  in  his  career  of  revenge.  Moved  by  his 
enthusiastic  address,  twelve  of  his  companions  vol- 
unteered to  join  him.  Arming  themselves  with  mus- 
kets and  ammunition,  they  sought  the  mountain 
passes,  and  maintained  themselves,  while  awaiting 
opportunities  of  action,  by  subsisting  on  the  sheep 
belonging  to  Mina's  father.     His  first  adventure  was 


EXPLOITS    OF   XAVIEIl   MINA.  153 

to  surprise  a  party  of  seven  artillery-men,  who  were 
carrying  two  pieces  of  cannon  and  a  quantity  of  am- 
munition from  Saragossa  to  Pamplona.  When  the 
news  of  this  success  reached  his  village,  others  were 
encouraged  to  volunteer.  His  next  exploit  was,  with 
his  band  of  twenty,  to  attack  a  general  ofl&cer,  who 
was  escorted  by  twenty-four  foot  and  twelve  horse- 
men. Stationing  his  men  in  a  narrow  defile,  he  gave 
orders  to  fire  as  they  were  descending,  each  one  hav- 
ing selected  his  man.  Twenty  of  the  escort  were 
thus  levelled  to  the  earth,  before  they  had  any 
intimation'  of  their  danger.  The  general  was  one  of 
the  number.  The  rest  of  the  escort  were  made  pris- 
oners, and  a  large  sum  of  money  fell  into  Mina's 
hands.  This  he  distributed  among  his  men,  advising 
them  to  send  part  to  their  families,  and  retain  no 
more  than  would  suffice  for  the  expenses  of  their  own 
interment,  exposed  as  they  now  continually  were  to 
death.  The  men  were  thus  raised  in  their  own 
estimation,  and  in  that  of  their  countrymen,  wherever 
t^is  was  told ;  and  volunteers  soon  presented  them- 
selves in  abundance,  attracted  by  a  success  which 
was  reported  everywhere  with  the  usual  exaggera- 
tions. He  received,  however,  only  such  persons  as 
he  regarded  as  a  valuable  acquisition  to  his  band. 
These  wore  a  red  ribbon  in  their  hats,  and  a  red  col- 
lar to  their  jackets.  In  Arragon,  a  band  of  fifty  rob- 
bers were  adding  to  the  miseries  of  that  unhappy 
country.  Having  heard  of  their  atrocities,  Mina 
turned  his  course  thither.     He  succeeded  in  surpris- 


154      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

ing  them.  The  greater  part  were  killed  on  the  spot, 
and  the  remainder  sent  as  prisoners  to  Tarragona. 
Rations  were  voluntarily  raised  for  his  people,  where- 
ever  they  were  expected,  and  given  as  freely  at  one 
time  as  they  were  paid  for  at  another  by  the  spoils 
of  the  enemy.  It  was  in  vain  that  the  French  made 
repeated  efforts  to  crush  this  enterprising  enemy.  If 
his  hand  were  dispersed,  it  was  only  to  unite,  and, 
by  striking  a  blow  in  some  weak  point,  render  them- 
selves more  formidable  than  before. 

A  large  number  of  prisoners,  and  an  amount  of 
treasure,  were  to  be  sent  from  Vittoria  to  France. 
Twelve  hundred  men  accompanied  it  as  an  escort. 
At  the  Puerto  de  Arlaban,  they  were  attacked  by 
the  seemingly  omnipresent  Mina,  of  whose  absence, 
in  another  part  of  the  country,  they  thought  them- 
selves assured.  They  were  entirely  routed ;  but, 
unfortunately,  two  hundred  of  the  prisoners  were 
slain  in  the  contest.  Information  of  the  journey  of 
this  escort  had  been  procured  from  a  new  recruit  in 
Mina's  band,  who  had  his  own  object  to  accomplish 
by  it.  He  was  a  gentleman  of  some  standing,  who 
was  engaged  to  a  beautiful  Spanish  lady.  Her  affec- 
tions had  been  stolen  from  him  by  a  wounded  French 
officer,  quartered  in  her  father's  house.  He  had 
recovered,  and  was  now  taking  his  bride  home  to 
France.  The  former  lover  had  sworn  a  deep  revenge, 
and,  unable  himself  to  accomplish  this  object,  had 
enlisted  the  powerful  Mina  on  his  side.  When  the 
band  returned  to  their  haunts,  they  carried  with  them 


EXPLOITS   OF   XAVIER   MINA.  155 

six  ladies,  who  were  guilty  of  the  same  crime,  viz., 
having  accepted,  as  husbands,  French  ofl&cers. 
Their  fate  was,  indeed,  a  sad  one.  The  contest  for 
them  had  been  fierce  in  the  extreme.  They  had 
seen  their  protectors,  one  by  one,  fall  around  them, 
fighting  until  the  last  breath  in  their  defence  ;  and 
now  they  were  left  helpless  to  the  mercy  of  their 
conquerors.  A  mock  trial  was  instituted.  They 
were  found  guilty  of  aiding  the  enemies  of  their 
country,  and  all  of  them  executed.  . 

But  Mina  was  not  always  successful.  Not  long 
after  this,  he  had  attacked  and  overcome  a  party  of 
French.  As  he  was  conveying  his  prisoners  to 
Robres,  he  was  betrayed  by  one  of  his  own  men,  and 
was  attacked  as  suddenly  as  he  had  fallen  upon 
others.  His  band  were  scattered,  many  of  them 
slain,  and  he  escaped,  with  great  difficulty,  with  his 
own  life.  One  week  afterward,  he  appeared  in  the 
Rioja,  with  five  thousand  men,  and  attacked  a  Polish 
regiment,  which  was  retiring  to  France.  They  were 
entirely  routed.  Mina  enlarged  his  band  by  an 
accession  of  every  one  of  the  Spanish  prisoners 
whom  he  had  liberated,  and  filled  his  coffers  with  the 
booty.  One  million  of  francs  fell  into  his  hands, 
besides  the  equipages,  arms  and  stores  of  aU  kinds, 
and  a  quantity  of  church  plate.  Two  weeks  after,  he 
captured  another  convoy,  going  from  Valencia  to 
France.  General  Abbe  now  bent  his  whole  force  to 
disperse  his  troops.  For  three  days  in  succession  he 
followed  Mina's  troops  to  their  haunts,  and  each  day 
14 


156     MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

defeated  them  ;  so  that,  on  the  last  day,  Mina  was 
obliged  again  to  flee  alone  for  his  life.  Yet,  not  dis- 
couraged, he  straggled  on  with  various  success,  until 
at  length  he  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French,  who 
sent  him  a  prisoner  to  France.  Great  rejoicings 
were  made  when  the  capture  of  this  formidable 
enemy  was  reported  ;  but  they  soon  found  that  they 
had  little  reason  for  joy,  for  his  place  at  the  head 
of  the  band  was  taken  by  his  uncle,  Francisco,  who 
proved  himself,  if  possible,  even  more  formidable  than 
his  nephew.  His  various  adventures  would  well 
fill  a  volume,  and  it  iS  easy  jto  see  the  interest  they 
must  have  possessed  when  related  around  the  bivouac 
fire  on  those  mountains,  where  no  one  knew  but  that 
any  moment  might  bring  his  army  around  them. 

But  to  return  to  my  own  history.  We  were  stiU 
pursuing  our  weary  course,  sometimes  coming  within 
sight  of  our  enemies,  and  sometimes  marching  and 
counter-marching,  when  our  leaders  thought  best  to 
avoid  a  battle.  We  were  still  suffering  the  pangs  of 
hunger,  our  principal  food  being  a  supply  of  ground 
bark.  The  soldiers  continued  to  wander  away,  and 
often  escaped,  with  their  lives,  from  imminent  peril. 
One  of  our  men  observed,  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
camp,  a  commotion  in  the  bushes,  which  he  thought 
was  occasioned  by  some  wild  animal ;  and  he  hastened 
out  to  secure  it.  Creeping  cautiously  along  under 
the  bushes,  his  course  was  suddenly  arrested  by  a 
bullet  flying  over  him.  Having  passed  around  a  rock 
which    concealed    him   from  the  camp,   he  hastily 


ADVENTURES   IN   SEARCH    OF   FOOD.  167 

jumped  up,  and  looked  round.  He  soon  spied  a 
woman  sitting  near  a  small  spring,  with  a  cliild  in 
her  arms,  as  he  thought ;  but,  concluding  that  it  was 
best  to  be  on  his  guard,  he  crept  cautiously  near  her, 
and  soon  saw  that  she  was  thoroughly  armed,  and 
what  seemed  to  be  a  child  was  something  which 
certainly  did  not  possess  life.  The  shot  had 
evidently  been  fired  by  her,  and  she  was  watching 
for  his  reappearance.  He  fired,  and  killed  her.  On 
taking  her  arms,  he  discovered  that  it  was  one  of  the 
guerillas,  dressed  in  female  apparel,  and  evidently 
intended  for  a  decoy.  Judging  from  articles  found 
around  him,  all  our  troops  had  not  been  so  successful 
as  was  our  soldier  in  discovering  the  disguise. 

There  are  not  many  villages  on  these  mountains, 
and  but  few  scattered  habitations.  The  next  day 
after  the  adventure  I  have  just  related,  a  small  party 
of  us  again  left  in  search  of  food.  We  soon  found,  in 
a  beautiful  valley,  a  small  house.  We  knocked  for 
admission.  There  was  no  answer  ;  so,  without  further 
ceremony,  the  door  was  broken  down,  and  we 
entered.  A  fire  was  found  burning  on  the  hearth, 
showing,  however  desolate  the  hut  might  now  be,  it 
had  not  long  wanted  inhabitants.  We  found,  how- 
ever, no  food,  and  were  turning  away,  quite  dis- 
appointed, when  one  of  our  number  spied  an  open 
hole  in  the  garden.  We  found  there,  to  our  great 
delight,  two  pigs  of  wine,  which  our  near  approach 
had  probably  disturbed  its  owners  in  their  attempts  to 
conceal.     These  pig-skins  were  to  us  quite  a  curios- 


158     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

ity.  The  skin  is  taken  as  entire  as  possible  from 
the  animal,  and  turned  so  that  the  hair  wiU  be  in- 
side, and  then  preserved  in  such  a  way  as  to  make 
it  capable  of  holding  wine.  These  are  the  common 
wine-casks  of  the  country.  I  have  often  seen  loads 
of  them  ;  and  so  perfectly  do  they  retain  their  resem- 
blance; that  any  one  unaccustomed  to  the  sight 
would  say,  at  once,  that  they  were  loads  of  dead 
porkers.  We  took  our  wine,  and  returned  as  rapidly 
as  possible  to  the  lines,  to  share  our  good  fortune 
with  our  comrades. 

A  day  or  two  after  this,  as  we  were  encamped  on 
one  of  the  hiUs  which  overlooked  the  country  to  a 
great  distance,  a  movement  on  the  plains  below 
attracted  the  attention  of  our  officers.  Scouts  were 
instantly  sent  out,  to  learn  the  nature  of  it.  Anima- 
tion again  appeared  in  the  faces  of  our  men ;  for, 
even  if  it  were  the  enemy,  we  aU  felt  it  would  be 
far  better  to  win  an  honorable  death  in  an  open  bat- 
tle, than  to  perish  daily,  as  we  were  doing,  by 
hunger  and  murder.  It  was  not  long  before  our 
messengers  returned,  spurring  their  horses,  and  joy 
in  every  feature  of  their  countenances.  As  soon  as 
they  came  within  hearing,  they  flung  up  their  caps 
in  the  air,  shouting,  "Relief,  relief!  our  commis- 
sariat is  coming !  It  will  soon  be  here  !  "  The  ex- 
citement among  our  men  was  intense.  They  could 
hardly  be  restrained  from  rushing  down  immediately 
to  break  upon  the  long-expected,  long-delayed  sup- 
pHes.     When,  at  length,  they  came  near,  and  we 


DEPARTURE  FOR  BADAJOS.  159 

saw  the  baggage-wagons,  accompanied  by  a  strong 
escort,  the  ill-repressed  enthusiasm  of  the  men 
burst  forth  in  one  long,  deafening  shout,  that  rever- 
berated from  the  tops  of  those  mountains  for  miles 
around.  The  scene  then  presented  by  our  camp 
was,  indeed,  an  exciting  one.  Ofl&cers  were  engaged 
on  aU  sides  in  distributing  provisions  to  the  starv- 
ing troops,  and  these  in  administering  cordials  and 
refreshments  to  their  sick  comrades.  Many  of  the 
sick,  who  were  apparently  near  their  end,  revived  and 
soon  recovered.  The  same  escort  brought  informa- 
tion that  the  destination  of  Wellington's  army  was 
now  to  be  changed,  and  our  division  of  it  was 
directed  to  proceed  immediately  to  Badajos.  This, 
too,  was  joyful  news  ;  and,  with  the  morrow's  dawn, 
everything  was  ready  for  motion.  Tents  were  struck, 
our  baggage  stored,  and  order  everywhere  restored. 
Once  more  we  had  an  aim,  an  object ;  and,  with  this, 
it  was  easy  to  become  again  docile  and  obedient.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  sensation  of  pleasure  that 
throbbed  in  our  hearts,  as  our  last  column  defiled 
down  the  mountain,  and  we  bade  farewell  to  those 
haunts,  which  had  been  so  nearly  fatal  to  us  all. 
Our  course  was  immediately  directed  to  Badajos, 
and,  on  the  3d  of  May,  we  sat  down  three  leagues 

from  its  walls. 

14* 


CHAPTER    V. 

Badajos. — Its  Capture  by  the  French.  —  Attempts  to  retake  it  by  the 
English.  —  Wellington  invests  it  in  Person.  —  Assault  upon  Fort  Chris- 
toval.  —  Storming  of  the  Town.  —  Terrific  Conflict  —  The  place  sacked 
by  the  Victors.  —  Disgraceful  Drunkenness  and  Debauchery  of  the 
Troops.  —  The  Main  Body  of  the  Army  depart  for  Beira. 

Badajos,  the  capital  of  the  Spanish  province  of 
Estremadura,  is  situated  near  the  Portuguese  fron- 
tier, at  the  confluence  of  the  small  stream  of  the 
Rivillas  with  the  Guadiana.  It  is  very  strongly- 
fortified,  both  nature  and  art  having  contributed 
their  stores  to  render  its  position  impregnable.  A 
huge  rock,  one  hundred  feet  high,  overlooks  the 
meeting  of  the  waters.  On  the  top  of  this  rock  rises 
an  old  castle,  venerable  from  its  age,  and  itself  a 
strong  fortification.  The  town  occupies  a  triangular 
space  between  the  rivers,  and  is  protected  by  eight 
curtains  and  bastions,  from  twenty-three  to  thirty 
feet  high,  with  good  counterscarps,  covered  way  and 
glacis.  On  the  left  bank  of  the  Guadiana  there  is 
a  lunette,  covering  a  dam  and  sluice,  which  com- 
mands an  inundation.  Beyond  the  Rivillas  stands 
an  isolated  redoubt,  called  the  Picurina.  This  is 
four  hundred  yards  from  the  town.  Two  hundred 
yards  from  the  ramparts,  rises  a  defective  crown- 
work,  called  the  Pardaleras.     On  the  right  bank  of 


BADAJOS.  161 

the  Guadiana  rises  a  hill,  crowned  by  a  regular  fort, 
three  hundred  feet  square,  called  San  Christoval. 
A  bridge,  supported  by  twenty-two  stone  arches, 
crosses  the  stream,  and  this  is  protected  by  a  bridge 
head.  The  strength  of  this  place  made  its  possession 
a  desirable  object  to  both  parties.  It  had  been 
early  invested  by  the  French,  under  Soult,  and 
vigorously  assaulted.  It  was,  however,  well  de- 
fended, and  would  probably  have  maintained  its 
position,  had  it  not  been  for  the  weakness  and  in- 
efficiency of  its  commanding  officers,  which  caused 
the  battle  of  the  Gebora  to  terminate  in  a  shameful 
defeat  and  immense  loss  to  the  Spanish  army. 
Rafael  Menacho  was  next  made  commander  of  the 
place.  He  sustained  the  siege  with  great  spirit,  and 
everything  seemed  to  promise  favorably,  when 
Menacho  was  unfortunately  killed,  during  a  sally, 
and  the  command  devolved  upon  Imas,  a  man  most 
unfitted  for  this  situation.  He  surrendered,  almost 
without  a  struggle,  to  the  French  ;  altliough  he  had 
received  certain  information  that  a  strong  army  was 
moving  to  his  assistance,  and  would  soon  raise  the 
siege.  He  demanded  that  his  grenadiers  should 
march  out  of  the  breach.  Permission  was  granted, 
but  they  were  obliged  themselves  to  enlarge  it, 
before  they  could  do  so.  The  French  immediately 
took  possession  of  the  city,  and  strengthened  its  de- 
fences. Lord  WelHngton  was  much  chagrined  at 
the  loss  of  this  place,  and  early  in  May  sent  Lord 
William  Stewart  to  invest  it.     The  siege  was  carried 


162     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

on  witli  vigor,  but  under  great  disadvantages,  aris- 
ing from  want  of  the  proper  materials  for  construc- 
tion of  the  works.  In  endeavoring  to  erect  their 
batteries,  the  engineers  were  obliged  to  labor  ex- 
posed to  a  heavy  fire  from  the  city,  which  proved  so 
destructive,  that,  before  one  small  battery  against  one 
of  the  outworks  of  the  toAvn  was  completed,  seven 
hundred  men  and  five  officers  had  fallen.  When,  at 
length,  on  the  morning  of  the  11th  of  May,  this  bat- 
tery was  completed,  before  night  five  of  its  guns 
were  silenced  by  the  enemy,  and  the  rest  were  so 
exposed  that  it  was  impossible  to  man  them.  The 
same  day  news  reached  our  army  that  the  French 
army  were  coming  to  the  relief  of  Badajos.  Imme- 
diately our  commander  took  steps  to  raise  the  siege, 
as  to  remain  there  would  have  exposed  our  whole 
force  to  destruction.  On  the  night  of  the  13th, 
he  removed  all  his  artillery  and  platforms  ;  and 
on  that  of  the  14th,  his  guns  and  stores.  But  so 
secretly  was  this  done,  that  the  French  were  entirely 
ignorant  of  it,  until,  as  the  rear  guard  were  about 
being  drawn  off,  they  made  a  sally,  and,  of  course, 
discovered  it.  Soon  after  this,  the  battle  of  Albuera 
occurred. 

Our  own  division  was  not,  however,  engaged  in  this 
battle,  having  been  ordered  to  Campo  Mayor,  where, 
on  the  24th,  orders  reached  us  that  we  were  again  to 
march  for  Badajos,  Lord  Wellington  having  resolved 
to  invest  it  in  person.  We  immediately  marched, 
and  arrived  on  the  evening  of  the  27th,  where  we 


ASSAULT   UPON   FORT    CHRISTOVAL.  163 

found  Lord  Wellington,  with  ten  thousand  men. 
During  the  absence  of  our  army,  Phillipon,  the 
governor  of  the  place,  had  entirely  destroyed  the 
little  remains  of  fortifications  left  by  them,  re- 
paired all  his  own  damages,  and  procured  a  fresh 
supply  of  wine  and  vegetables  from  the  country. 
He  had  also  mounted  more  guns,  and  interested  the 
towns-people  on  his  side.  The  works  of  the  siege 
were  commenced  under  "Wellington's  own  direction, 
on  the  29th,  and  carried  on  a  week,  with  various 
success.  Then  it  was  resolved  to  make  an  assault 
upon  Fort  Christoval.  The  storming  party,  preceded 
by  a  forlorn  hope,  and  led  by  Major  Mcintosh,  with 
the  engineer  Forster  as  a  guide,  reached  the  glacis 
and  descended  to  the  ditch  about  midnight,  on  the 
night  of  the  sixth  of  June.  The  French  had,  how- 
ever, cleared  all  the  rubbish  away,  so  that  seven  feet 
perpendicular  still  remained ;  and  above  this  were 
many  obstacles,  such  as  carts  chained  together, 
pointed  beams  of  wood,  and  large  shells  ranged  along 
the  ramparts,  to  roll  down  upon  the  assailants.  The 
forlorn  hope,  finding  that  the  breach  was  still  im- 
practicable, was  retiring,  with  little  loss,  when  they 
met  the  main  body,  leaping  into  the  ditch  with  lad- 
ders, and  the  ascent  was  again  attempted  ;  but  the 
ladders  were  too  short,  and  the  confusion  and  mischief 
occasioned  by  the  bursting  of  the  shells  was  so  great 
that  the  assailants  again  retired,  with  the  loss  of  more 
than  one  hundred  men.  Two  nights  after,  a  second 
attack  was  made,  but  met  with  no  better  success. 


164      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

The  British  troops,  with  loud  shouts,  jumped  into  the 
ditch.  The  French  defied  them  to  come  on,  and  at 
the  same  time  rolled  barrels  of  powder  and  shells 
down,  while  the  musketry  made  fearful  and  rapid 
havoc.  In  a  little  time,  the  two  leading  columns 
united  at  the  main  breach  ;  the  supports  also  came 
up  ;  confusion  arose  about  the  ladders,  of  which  only 
a  few  could  be  reared  ;  and  the  enemy,  standing  on 
the  ramparts,  bayoneted  the  foremost  assailants,  over- 
turned the  ladders,  and  again  poured  their  destruc- 
tive fire  upon  the  crowd  below.  One  hundred  and 
forty  men  had  already  fallen,  and  yet  not  a  single 
foot  had  been  gained,  nor  was  there  one  bright  spot 
in  the  darkness  to  encourage  them  to  proceed.  The 
order  was  given  to  retire.  The  next  day,  Welling- 
ton heard  that  the  army  of  Soult  was  again  advancing 
to  attack  him  ;  and  as  to  receive  battle  there  would 
throw  all  the  disadvantage  on  his  side,  he  thought 
best  to  raise  the  siege.  On  the  10th,  the  stores 
were  all  removed,  and  the  siege  turned  to  a  block- 
ade, which  was  afterwards  terminated,  when  the 
armies  of  Marmont  and  Soult,  having  effected  a 
junction,  advanced  to  its  relief.  It  was  nearly  a 
year  before  the  allied  army  again  found  it  desirable 
to  approach  Badajos.  Meanwhile  the  war  was  car- 
ried on  with  great  activity,  although  with  varied 
success. 

My  own  time  was  passed  with  the  regiment  to 
which  I  belonged,  either  in  the  mountains,  or  in  for- 
aging or  bringing  supplies,  as  circumstances  dictated. 


LAST   SIEGE   OF   BADAJOS.  165 

Although  again  and  again  engaged  in  light  skirmishes 
"with  small- bodies  of  the  enemy,  occupied  as  our  own 
regiment  were,  it  was  not  my  fortune  to  engage  in  a 
general  battle,  until  the  last  siege  of  Badajos.  And 
as  this  city  was  one  of  the  most  important,  and  its 
siege  the  best  sustained  of  any  on  the  Peninsula,  I 
shall  give  an  account  of  it  more  in  detail  than  I 
have  thought  best  to  do  of  the  rest. 

The  unfavorable  issue  of  the  two  former  invest- 
ments, had  induced  Lord  Wellington  to  wait  until  a 
combination  of  favorable  circumstances  should  at 
least  give  more  hope  of  success.  The  auspicious 
moment  had,  in  his  \iew,  now  arrived.  The  heavy 
rains  which  occur  at  this  season  of  the  year  would  so 
raise  the  rivers  in  the  high  lands,  where  his  troops 
were  located,  that  there  would  be  no  risk  of  their  de- 
tention in  proceeding  at  once  to  the  Alemtejo,  while 
this  same  flow  of  waters,  in  the  more  level  portion 
occupied  by  the  French,  would  prove  a  fatal  imped- 
iment to  the  junction  of  their  forces,  which  were  at 
this  time  considerably  scattered,  owing  to  the  diffi- 
culty of  obtaining  provisions.  Regiments  were  de- 
spatched, therefore,  to  bring  all  the  stores  of  cloth- 
ing and  provisions  from  the  diiferent  points  where 
they  had  been  left,  and  concentrate  them  near  Bad- 
ajos. 

Wellington  himself,  having  remained  at  his  head- 
quarters, on  the  Coa,  until  the  last  moment,  in  order 
to  conceal  his  real  intentions,  now  came  in  person  to 
superintend   the   new  works.     As  the  French   had 


166      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

strongly  occupied  the  stone  bridge  over  the  Guadi- 
ana,  he  ordered  a  flying  bridge  to  be  thrown  across, 
which  was  completed  on  the  15th  of  March,  1812. 
Over  this  Major-general  Beresford  passed,  and  im- 
mediately invested  Badajos,  with  an  army  of  fifteen 
thousand  men.  A  covering  army  of  thirty  thousand 
occupied  different  positions  near ;  and,  including  a 
division  on  its  march  from  Beira,  the  whole  of  the 
allied  forces  now  in  Estremadura  numbered  fifty- 
one  thousand.  The  garrison  of  the  enemy,  composed 
of  French,  Hessian  and  Spanish  troops,  was  five 
thousand  strong.  PhilUpon,  its  brave  commander, 
had  been  busily  occupied,  since  the  last  siege,  in 
strengthening  the  defences  of  the  place,  and  in  pro- 
curing supplies  for  the  expected  invasion.  Every 
family  was  obliged  to  keep  three  months'  provision 
on  hand,  or  leave  the  place,  and  every  preparation 
was  made  for  an  obstinate  and  long-continued  resist- 
ance. General  Picton  took  the  chief  command  of 
the  assailants.  He  was  alternately  assisted  by  Gen- 
erals Kempt,  Colville,  and  Bowis. 

The  night  of  the  17th  was  ushered  in  by  a  violent 
storm  of  wind  and  rain.  It  was  extremely  dark  and 
uncomfortable  ;  but,  as  the  loud  roar  of  the  tempest 
would  effectually  drown  the  noise  of  the  pick-axes, 
eighteen  hundred  men  were  ordered  to  break  ground 
only  one  hundred  and  sixty  yards  from  the  Picurina. 
They  were  accompanied  by  a  guard  of  two  thousand 
men.  So  rapidly  did  they  work,  that,  though  it  was 
late  when  they  commenced,  before  morning  they  had 


LAST   SIEGE   OF   BADAJOS.  167 

completed  a  communication  four  thousand  feet  in 
length,  and  a  parallel  six  hundred  yards  long,  three 
feet  deep,  and  three  wide.  The  next  night  these 
works  were  enlarged,  and  two  batteries  traced  out. 
To  destroy  these  works  was  now  the  first  object  of 
the  besieged.  On  the  19th,  thirteen  hundred  of  their 
number  stole  out  of  the  city,  unobserved,  into  the 
communication,  and  began  to  destroy  the  parallel. 
They  were  soon  discovered,  however,  and  driven 
away.  As  they  rode  up,  part  of  the  French  cavalry 
entered  into  a  mock  contest,  giving  the  countersign 
in  Portuguese,  and  were  thus  permitted  to  pass  the 
pickets ;  but  they  soon  betrayed  their  real  character, 
and  our  troops,  hastily  seizing  their  arms,  drove  them 
back  to  the  castle,  with  a  loss  of  three  hundred  men. 
One  hundred  and  fifty  of  the  British  fell,  and,  unfor- 
tunately, Colonel  Fletcher,  the  chief  engineer,  was 
badly  wounded.  Owing  to  this  circumstance,  and 
the  continued  wet  and  boisterous  state  of  the  weather, 
the  works  advanced  slowly ;  but  the  batteries  were  at 
length  completed.  Owing  to  the  heavy  rains,  the 
parallel  remained  full  of  water,  and  it  was  found  im- 
possible to  drain  it.  But  this  was  in  some  degree 
remedied  by  making  an  artificial  bottom  of  sand- 
bags. One  place  yet  remained,  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Guadiana,  which  Wellington  had  not  invested 
The  eagle  eye  of  Phillipon  soon  perceived  his  ad- 
vantage. He  erected  here  three  batteries,  which 
completely  swept  our  works  with  a  most  destructive 
fire  ;  and  its  effect  would  have  been  yet  greater,  had 
15 


168      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

it  not  been  that  the  mud  obstructed  the  bound  of  the 
bullets.  A  courier  was  instantly  despatched  to  the 
fifth  di\dsion,  stationed  at  Campo  Mayor,  for  assist- 
ance. But  misfortunes  seldom  come  alone.  The 
heavy  rains  had  caused  such  a  rise  in  the  river,  that 
the  flying  bridges  were  swept  away,  and  the  trenches 
filled  with  water.  The  provisions  and  ammunition 
of  the  army  were  still  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
so  that  we  were  soon  in  want  of  both.  To  add  to 
this,  the  earth  thrown  up  for  intrenchments  became 
so  saturated  with  water  that  it  crumbled  away,  and 
our  labors  were  for  the  time  whoUy  suspended.  A  few 
days  of  fine  weather,  however,  relieved  us  from  our 
unpleasant  situation.  The  river  subsided,  another 
flying  bridge  was  constructed  and  row-boats  obtained, 
so  that  the  communication  might  not  again  be  inter- 
rupted, under  any  circumstances.  On  the  25th  the 
reinforcement  from  Campo  Mayor  arrived,  and  the 
right  bank  of  the  Guadiana  was  immediately  in- 
vested. The  same  day,  our  batteries  were  opened 
upon  the  fort.  The  enemy  were  by  no  means  silent 
spectators  of  this  invasion.  They  returned  our  fire 
with  such  vigor,  that  several  of  our  guns  were  dis- 
mounted, and  quite  a  number  of  officers  kiUed. 
Marksmen  were  also  stationed  on  the  trenches,  to 
shoot  every  one  who  should  show  his  head  over  the 
parapet. 

General  Picton  now  resolved  to  take  the  fort  by 
assault.  Its  external  appearance  did  not  indicate 
much  strength,  and  he  hoped  for  an  easy  victory. 


LAST   SIEGE   OF   BADAJOS.  169 

But  the  event  proved  that  these  appearances  were 
deceptive.  The  fort  was  strong  ;  the  ditch  fourteen 
feet  perpendicular,  and  guarded  with  thick,  slanting 
poles,  and  from  the  top  there  were  sixteen  feet  of 
an  earthen  slope.  Seven  guns  were  mounted  on  the 
walls,  and  two  hundred  men,  each  armed  with  two 
loaded  muskets,  stood  ready  to  repel  all  intruders. 
Loaded  shells  were  also  ranged  along  the  walls,  to  be 
pushed  over,  in  case  of  an  attack.  General  Kempt 
took  the  direction  of  the  assault,  which  was  arranged 
for  the  night  of  the  25th.  Five  hundred  men  were 
selected  from  the  third  division,  of  which  two  hun- 
dred were  stationed  in  the  communication  of  San 
Boque,  to  prevent  any  assistance  reaching  the  fort 
from  the  town  ;  one  hundred  occupied  a  position  at 
the  right  of  the  fort,  one  hundred  at  the  left,  and  the 
remainder  were  held  as  a  reserve,  under  the  command 
of  Captain  Powis. 

About  nine  o'clock,  the  signal  was  given,  and  the 
troops  moved  forward.  The  night  was  very  clear, 
although  there  was  no  moon ;  and  the  fort,  which  had 
loomed  up  in  the  darkness  still  and  silent,  as  though 
untenanted,  answered  back  the  first  shot  of  the  assail- 
ants with  a  discharge  that  caused  it  to  resemble  a 
sheet  of  fire.  The  first  attack  was  directed  against 
the  palisades  in  the  rear  ;  but  the  strength  of  these, 
and  the  destructive  fire  poured  down  upon  them, 
obliged  them  to  seek  some  weaker  part.  They 
turned  to  the  face  of  the  fort ;  but  here,  the  depth 
of  the  ditch,  and  the  slanting  stakes  at  the  top  of  it, 


170      MILITARY    ADVENTURES    OP    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

again  baffled  their  attempts.  The  enemy  lost  not  a 
moment  in  pouring  their  fire  upon  the  assailants, 
and  the  loud  death-screams  told  that  the  crisis  was 
becoming  more  and  more  imminent.  The  alarm-bells 
in  the  city  itself  now  rung  out  their  shrill  sounds, 
the  guns  on  the  walls  and  on  the  castle  opened  on 
the  assailants,  rockets  were  thrown  up  by  the  be- 
sieged, and  the  answering  shots  from  the  trenches 
served  to  increase  the  tumult.  AU  eyes  were  turned 
in  the  direction  of  the  fort.  A  battalion,  hastily 
sent  out  from  the  city,  advanced  to  its  aid  ;  but  they 
had  scarcely  entered  the  communication,  when  the 
troops  stationed  there  rushed  to  the  onset,  and  in  a 
few  moments  they  were  driven  back  within  the 
waUs.  By  the  light  of  those  streams  of  fire,  which 
ascended  every  moment  from  the  Picurina,  dark 
forms  might  be  seen  struggling  on  the  ramparts,  in 
all  the  energy  of  determined  contest.  Continued 
rounds  of  artillery  had  broken  down  the  palisades  in 
front,  and  the  assailants  were  fighting,  hand  to  hand, 
for  an  entrance. 

The  party  in  the  rear  of  the  fort  had  thrown  their 
ladders,  like  bridges,  across  the  ditch,  resting  them  on 
the  slanting  stakes,  and  springing  on  them,  drove  back 
their  guards.  Fifty  men,  bearing  axes,  now  discov- 
ered the  gate,  which  soon  fell  beneath  their  blows, 
and  they  rushed  in  to  a  nearer  contest.  The  little 
garrison,  stern  in  their  resistance,  did  what  they 
could.  Powis,  Gips,  Holloway  and  Gates,  fell  on 
the  ramparts.     Nixon,  Shaw,  and  Rudd,  were  not 


LAST   SIEGE   OF   BADAJOS.  171 

long  behind.     Scarcely  an  officer  was  left ;  and  yet 
the    struggle    continued.     At   length,    when    only 
eighty-six  men  remained,  they  surrendered,  and  the 
Picurina  passed  to  the  aUies.     Only  one  hour  had 
that  fierce  conflict   lasted,  yet  of   our  troops  four 
officers  and  fifty  men  had  fallen,  and  fifteen  officers 
and  two  hundred  and  fifty  men  were  wounded.    Phil- 
lipon  felt  deeply  the  loss  of  this  fort.     He  did  not 
conceal  from  his  soldiers  the  increase  of  danger  to 
their  city  from  it ;  but  he  stimulated  their  courage  by 
reminding  them  that  death  was  far  preferable  to  an 
abode  in  the  English  prison-ships.     They  deeply  felt 
that  appeal,  and,  with  the  first  dawn  of  light,  their 
guns  were  manned  with  renewed  activity.     These 
were  turned  against  the  fort,  and  so  raked  it  that  it 
was  impossible  for  our  troops  to  remain  there,  and  it 
was  deserted.     This  victory  gave  fresh  courage  to 
the  besiegers.     Our  whole  force  was  occupied,  the 
three  succeeding  nights,  in  erecting  new  batteries, 
and  in  extending  the  parallels  and  communications. 
In  the  daytime,  comparatively  Httle  could  be  done, 
as  the  fire  from  the  town  so  galled  the  workmen. 
Repeatedly  they  dismounted  our  guns,  and  destroyed 
the  defences  which  had  been  erected  to  shield  the 
laborers,  so  that  we  were  obliged  to  wait  until  the 
darkness  prevented  their  marksmen  from  taking  aim, 
in  order  to  carry  on  our  works.     The  night  of  the 
27th,  an  attempt  was  made  to  destroy  the  dam,  which 
had  been  built  for  the  purpose  of  forming  an  inunda- 
tion, and  lessening  the  space  where  our  troops  could 
15* 


172      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OP   CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

work  ;  but  the  moon  had  now  made  her  appearance, 
and  shone  so  brightly  that  the  effort  was  unsuccess- 
ful. 

On  this  night  a  most  daring  feat  was  performed  by 
one  of  the  French.  Having  disguised  himself,  he 
crept  over  the  wall,  and  concealed  himself  until,  he 
had  caught  the  watchword  for  the  night.  Then, 
boldly  mingling  with  the  troops,  he  proceeded  to  the 
works.  Here  the  engineer  had  placed  a  line  to  mark 
the  direction  of  the  sap.  Just  before  the  workmen 
arrived,  he  moved  the  string,  until  he  brought  it 
within  complete  range  of  the  castle  guns.  The  men 
commenced  work  at  once,  but  the  light  of  the  moon 
enabled  the  guns  to  tell  with  fearful  precision  upon 
them  ;  and  it  was  not  until  a  severe  loss  had  been 
sustained,  that  the  mistake  was  discovered.  Mean- 
while, the  intruder  stole  quietly  back  to  his  old 
quarters,  which  he  reached  unmolested. 

Soult,  trusting  to  the  strong  intrenchments  of  the 
place,  had  but  little  fear  that  it  would  finally  surren- 
der ;  but  he  knew  a  hard-fought  battle  was  inevitable. 
He  therefore  endeavored,  as  much  as  possible,  to 
concentrate  his  forces  near;  but,  while  they  were 
marching  for  this  purpose,  Graham  and  Hill  attacked 
their  flanks,  and  forced  them  to  take  another  direc- 
tion. The  whole  of  the  Spanish  army  now  moved 
on  to  the  Ronda  hiUs,  and  threatened  to  attack  Se- 
ville. This  movement  obliged  Soult  to  detach  a  large 
part  of  his  army  to  the  assistance  of  this  city,  and 
had,  as  the  event  proved,  fatally  delayed  his  march 


LAST   SIEGE   OF   BADAJOS.  173 

to  Badajos.  On  the  30th,  Wellington  received  inform- 
ation that  Soult  had  resumed  his  march,  and  would 
soon  arrive ;  but  this  news  only  served  to  hasten  the 
preparations  for  the  attack.  Forty-eight  pieces  of 
artillery  were  now  constantly  playing  against  the  San 
Roque,  and  the  siege  advanced  at  all  points.  Still 
the  San  Roque  stood  firm.  General  Picton  was  the 
more  anxious  for  its  destruction,  as  the  inundation, 
which  was  caused  by  the  dam,  and  protected  by  this 
lunette,  prevented  the  free  action  of  the  troops. 

On  the  night  of  the  1st  of  April,  several  brave 
fellows  determined  to  see  if  they  could  not  accom- 
plish by  stratagem  what  open  force  had  failed  to 
effect.  Two  officers  placed  themselves  at  the  head 
of  a  small  company  of  sappers.  Under  cover  of  the 
darkness,  and  their  motions  encumbered  by  the 
powder  they  were  obliged  to  carry,  they  stole  rapidly, 
but  noiselessly,  into  the  camp  of  the  enemy.  It  was, 
indeed,  a  dangerous  experiment.  The  least  noise, 
the  slightest  accident,  might  alarm  the  sentinel ;  and 
then,  they  well  knew,  none  would  return  to  tell  their 
fate.  Scarcely  venturing  to  breathe,  they  reached, 
in  safety,  a  spot  near  the  place.  One  of  the  officers 
then  went  to  examine  the  dam.  During  his  absence, 
the  rest  of  the  party  could  see  the  sentinel,  as  he 
approached  within  a  very  few  feet  of  where  they  lay 
concealed.  They  saw,  if  they  could  dispose  of  him 
without  noise,  they  might  probably  accomplish  their 
aim  undiscovered.  The  officer,  having  examined  the 
dam,  now  returned,  just  as  the  sentinel  approached. 


174      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

"Now,  boys,  is  your  time,"  he  whispered.  "Re- 
member, one  word,  one  sound,  and  we  are  lost." 
Riquet,  a  powerful  Irishman,  selected  for  this  pur- 
pose, seized  his  cloak,  and  stood  prepared.  As  the 
man  was  passing,  he  sprang  forward,  and,  throwing 
his  cloak  over  him,  he  was  in  an  instant  gagged  and 
bound.  Then,  rapidly  and  silently,  the  powder  was 
placed  against  the  dam,  the  train  laid,  and  the  match, 
applied.  They  waited  a  moment,  to  see  that  it  was 
not  extinguished,  and  then  hastily  retreated.  A  few 
moments  passed,  and  the  loud  explosion  was  the  first 
intelligence  the  enemy  had  of  the  intrusion.  All 
eyes  were  bent  anxiously  upon  the  spot,  but  our 
hopes  were  destined  to  a  sad  disappointment.  The 
dam'  stood  firm,  and  the  inundations  still  remained. 
But,  although  this  brave  attempt  had  failed,  it  soon 
became  apparent  to  our  general  that  the  crisis  was 
rapidly  approaching.  The  bastions  of  the  Trinidad 
and  the  Santa  Maria  had  already  given  way ;  the 
breaches  were  daily  enlarging,  and  hope  grew  strong 
that  we  should  succeed  in  reducing  the  place  before 
Soult  should  arrive.  Nor  were  the  enemy  blind  to 
their  danger.  They  had  already  built  a  strong  in- 
ti-enchment  behind  the  wajls.  Now  they  converted 
the  nearest  houses  and  garden- walls  into  a  third  line 
of  defence. 

Rumors  were  continually  circulating  that  the 
French  army  was  close  at  hand ;  but  they  were  so 
uncertain  that  no  dependence  could  be  placed  upon 
them.    About  this  time,  however,  certain  intelligence 


LAST    SIEaE   OF   BADAJOS.  175 

was  brought  that  Soult  had  effected  a  junction  with 
Drouet  and  Daricoa,  and  was  already  at  Albuera.  No 
time  was  then  to  be  lost.  Wellington  himself  exam- 
ined the  breaches,  and  pronounced  them  practicable, 
and  the  night  of  the  6th  of  April  was  fixed  for  the 
assault.  Rapidly  the  news  circulated  among  the 
army,  and  eighteen  thousand  daring  soldiers  burned 
for  that  attack,  that  was  to  caiTy  to  posterity  so 
dreadful  a  tale.  I  shall  never  forget  the  effect  on 
our  own  regiment,  when  it  was  announced.  General 
Sponsbury  himself  bore  the  tidings,  and  asked  if  our 
regiment  —  the  28th  of  foot  —  was  willing  to  lead 
the  assault  upon  the  castle.  This  offer  had  already 
been  made  to  the  colonels  of  the  10th  and  17th  regi- 
ments ;  but  their  men  were  suffering  so  severely  from 
a  disease  in  the  eyes,  called  the  Jamaica  Sands,  that 
they  declined  the  honor.  "  My  men  have  their  eyes 
open,  at  such  a  time,  general,"  answered  our  brave 
colonel;  *'  nor  is  their  leader  ever  blind  to  the  inter- 
ests of  king  and  country."  Then,  turning  to  us,  he 
cried,  "What  say  you,  my  lads  ?  Are  you  willing 
to  take  the  front  ranks  in  this  attack?"  A  loud 
shout  gave  its  affirmative  to  this  appeal.  Every  heart 
thrilled  at  the  honor  thus  conferred,  although  all 
knew  how  perilous  such  a  distinction  must  necessa- 
rily be. 

The  dreaded  yet  longed-for  night  drew  on,  and 
our  ofi&cers  were  busily  engaged  in  arranging  the 
order  of  the  attack,  and  in  preparing  the  men  for 
their  duty.     Picton's  division  was  to  cross  the  Rivil- 


176      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    O'nEIL. 

las  river,  and  scale  the  castle  walls,  which  were  from 
eighteen  to  twenty  feet  in  height,  furnished  with  every 
means  of  destruction,  and  so  narrow  at  the  top  that 
their  defenders  could  easily  reach  and  overturn  the 
ladders. 

To  Leith  was  appointed  the  distant  bastion  of  San 
Vincente,  where  the  glacis  was  mined,  the  ditch 
deep,  the  scarp  thirty  feet  high,  and  the  defenders 
of  the  parapet  armed  with  three  loaded  muskets  each, 
that  their  first  fire  should  be  as  deadly  as  possible. 

The  4th  and  light  divisions  were  to  march  against 
the  breaches,  well  furnished  with  ladders  and  axes, 
preceded  by  storming  parties  of  five  hundred  men, 
with  their  forlorn  hopes.  Major  Wilson,  of  the  48th, 
was  directed  to  storm  San  Roque,  and  to  General 
Power  was  assigned  the  bridge  head. 

The  morning  had  been  very  clear,  but,  as  night 
approached,  clouds  covered  the  horizon,  as  if  to  veil 
the  bloody  scenes  of  the  night.  Fog  rose  thick  from 
the  rivers  over  every  object,  thus  rendering  the  dark- 
ness more  complete.  Unusual  stiUness  prevailed, 
although  low  murmurs  pervaded  the  trenches,  and, 
on  the  ramparts,  lights  occasionally  flitted  here  and 
there.  Every  few  moments  the  deep-toned  voices 
of  the  sentinels  broke  in  upon  our  ears,  proclaiming 
that  "  all  was  well  in  Badajos." 

The  possession  of  this  place  had  become  a  point 
of  honor  with  the  soldiers  on  both  sides.  Three  times 
had  the  French  seen  their  foes  sit  down  before  these 
almost  impregnable  walls.     Twice   had   they  been 


THE   FINAL  ASSAULT.  177 

obliged  to  retire,  with  heavy  losses.  The  memory  of 
these  disasters,  revenge  for  those  who  had  fallen, 
hatred  of  their  foes,  and  a  strong  desire  for  glory, 
now  nerved  each  British  arm  for  the  contest ;  while 
the  honor  of  the  French  nation,  the  approval  of  their 
idolized  emperor,  and,  more  than  all,  the  danger  to 
which  their  families  would  be  exposed  in  case  of 
failure,  combined  with  an  equal  thirst  for  glory, 
awakened  all  the  ardent  enthusiasm  of  the  French. 

At  ten  o'clock  a  simultaneous  assault  was  to  be 
made  on  the  castle,  the  San  Roque,  the  breaches,  the 
Pardaleras,  San  Vincente,  and  the  bridge  head,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Guadiana. 

The  enemy  were,  as  yet,  all  unconscious  of  the 
design  of  our  general,  and  the  dark  array  of  the 
British  moved  slowly  and  silently  forward.  Every 
heart  ^vas  full;  for,  although  now  unusual  quiet 
reigned,  every  one  knew  that  it  was  but  the  prelude 
to  that  hour  when  death,  in  its  most  terrible  and 
ghastly  forms,  would  be  dealt  on  every  side.  In  one 
short  half-hour  the  signal  was  to  be  given, —  nay, 
even  that  little  time  was  lost.  A  hghted  carcass 
was  thrown  up  from  the  castle,  and  fell  at  the  very 
feet  of  the  men  in  the  thii'd  division,  casting  a  lurid 
and  glaring  light  for  yards  around.  The  wild  shout 
of  alarm,  the  hurried  tones  of  the  signal-bells,  and 
the  tumultuous  rushing  of  the  soldiers,  proclaimed 
that  our  array  was  discovered.  Not  a  moment  was 
to  be  lost.  "  Forward,  my  men,  forward  !"  passed 
from  rank  to  rank.     One  wild,  long,  deafening  shout, 


178      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

responded,  and  then  the  besiegers  dashed  onward. 
In  a  moment  a  circle  of  fire  seemed  to  surround  the 
doomed  city. 

Our  own  division,  under  charge  of  General  Kempt, 
had  crossed  the  narrow  plank  that  constituted  the 
bridge  over  the  Rivillas,  under  a  heavy  fire  of 
musketry,  and  then,  re-forming,  ran  hastily  up  the 
rugged  hill,  to  the  foot  of  the  castle.  Scarcely  had 
we  reached  the  walls,  when  our  brave  general  fell, 
severely  wounded.  His  faithful  aids- de- camp  car- 
ried him  from  the  field ;  and,  as  they  were  passing 
to  the  trenches,  he  met  Greneral  Picton,  —  who,  hurt 
by  a  fall,  and  unprepared  for  the  advance  of  the  sig- 
nal, had  been  left  in  the  camp,  —  hastening  onward. 
A  few  hurried  words  passed  between  them,  and 
General  Picton  ran  on,  to  find  his  brave  soldiers 
already  ascending  the  heavy  ladders  they  had  placed 
against  the  castle  walls.  And  well  might  those  men 
be  caUed  brave,  who  dared  attempt  to  ascend  those 
ladders,  in  spite  of  the  showers  of  heavy  stones,  logs 
of  wood,  and  bursting  shells,  that  rolled  off  the  par- 
apet,—  regardless,  too,  of  that  ceaseless  roU  of  mus- 
ketry, that  was  telling  with  such  fearful  precision 
on  their  flanks, —  forgetting,  apparently,  that,  even 
should  they  live  to  reach  the  top,  they  could  scarcely 
hope  to  survive  the  shock  of  that  formidable  front  of 
pikes  and  bayonets  that  rose  to  meet  them.  Deafen- 
ing shouts  echoed  on  every  side,  as  the  besieged 
endeavored  to  throw  down  those  heavy  ladders ;  and 
these  were  answered  back  by  the  groans  of  the  dying. 


THE   FINAL   ASSAULT.  181 

and  the  shrieks  of  the  soldiers  that  were  crushed  by 
their  fall.  Yet,  not  for  a  moment  daunted,  those 
behind  sprang  on  to  the  remaining  ladders^  and  strove 
which  first  should  meet  the  death  that  seemed  inev- 
itable. But  their  courage  was  fruitless.  Every 
ladder  was  thrown  down,  and  loud  shouts  of  victory 
ran  along  the  walls.  But  the  British,  though  foiled, 
were  not  subdued.  They  fell  back  a  few  paces,  and 
re-formed.  Colonel  Ridge  then  sprang  forward,  and, 
seizing  a  ladder,  placed  it  against  the  lowest  part  of 
the  castle  wall,  loudly  calling  to  his  men  to  follow. 
Officer  Canch  succeeded  in  placing  another  beside 
him,  and  in  an  instant  they  were  fighting  upon  the 
ramparts.  Ridge  fell,  pierced  with  a  hundred  wounds ; 
but,  ere  his  assailants  had  time  to  strike  again,  those 
ladders  had  poured  their  living  load  into  the  castle, 
and,  step  by  step,  were  its  brave  defenders  forced, 
fighting,  into  the  street.  Here  a  reinforcement  in- 
duced them  to  pause,  and  a  hard-fought  conflict 
ensued.  But  their  assistants  came  too  late,  —  the 
castle  was  ours. 

While  these  events  were  passing  at  the  castle, 
more  terrific,  more  maddening,  if  possible,  was 
the  contest  at  the  breaches.  Just  as  the  firing  at 
the  castle  commenced,  two  divisions  reached  the 
glacis.  The  flash  of  a  single  musket  from  the  cov- 
ered way  was  the  signal  that  the  French  were  ready, 
and  yet  all  was  still  and  dark.  Hay  packs  were 
thrown  hastily  into  the  ditches,  and  five  hundred  men 
sprang  down  the  ladders,  which  were  placed  there, 


182     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   O'nEIL: 

without  any  opposition.    Why  was  this  ominouS  still- 
ness ?     But  the  assailants  had  hardly  time  to  ask, 
when  a  bright  light  shot  up  from  the  darkness,  and 
revealed  all  the  horrors  of  the  scene.     The  ramparts 
were  crowded  with  dark  figures  and  glittering  arms, 
while,  below,  the  red  columns  of  the  British  were 
rushing  on,  like  streams  of  burning  lava.     A  crash 
of  thunder  followed  that  bright  light,  and  hundreds 
of  shells  and   powder-barrels   dashed   the  ill-fated 
stormers  into  a  thousand  atoms.     One  instant  the 
light  division  paused,  and  then,  as  if  maddened  by 
that  terrific  sight,  they  flew  down  the  ladders,  or 
leaped  into  the  gulf  below.     A  blaze  of  musketry 
poured  its  dazzling  light  into  the  ditch,  as  the  fourth 
division  came  up,  and  descended  with  equal  fury. 
But  the  enemy  had  made,  at  the  bottom  of  the  ditch, 
a  deep  cut,  which  was  filled  with  water.     Into  this 
snare  the  head  of  the  division  fell,  and  more  than  a 
hundred  men  were  drowned.     Those  behind  checked 
not  an  instant,  but,  turning  to  the  left,  came  to  an 
unfinished  intrenchment,  which  they  mistook  for  the 
breaches.     It  was  covered  in  a  moment;   but,  be- 
yond it,  still  lay  a  d^ep  and  wide  chasm,  between 
them  and  the  ramparts  they  wished  to  gain.     Con- 
fusion  necessarily   ensued,   for  the    assailants  still 
crowded  on,  until  the  ditch  was  full,  and  even  then 
the  press  continued.     Not  for  one  moment  ceased 
the  roar  of  the  musketry  upon  those  crowded  troops, 
and  the  loud  shouts  of  the  enemy,  mingled  with  the 
din  of  bursting  grenades  and  shells.     The  roaring 


THE   FINAL   ASSAULT.  183 

guns  were  answered  back  by  tl^e  iron  howitzers  from 
the  battery,  while  the  horrid  explosions  of  the 
powder-barrels,  the  whizzing  flight  of  the  blazing 
splinters,  and  the  loud  commands  of  the  ofl&cers, 
increased  the  confusion.  Through  all  this  the  great 
breach  was  at  length  reached,  and  the  British  trusted 
that  the  worst  was  over ;  but,  deep  in  those  ruins, 
ponderous  beams  were  set,  and,  firmly  fixed  on  their 
top,  gUttered  a  terrible  array  of  sword-blades,  sharp- 
pointed  and  keen-edged,  while  ten  feet  before  even 
that  could  be  reached,  the  ascent  was  covered  with 
loose  planks,  studded  with  sharp  iron  points,  which 
penetrated  the  feet  of  the  foremost,  and  sent  them 
rolling  back  on  the  troops  behind. 

Behind  these  sword-points,  the  shouting  French- 
men stood  rejoicing  in  their  agony,  and  poured  in 
their  fire  with  ceaseless  rapidity  ;  for  every  man  had 
a  number  of  muskets,  and  each  one  of  these,  beside 
the  ordinary  charge,  was  loaded  with  a  cylinder  of 
wood,  full  of  leaden  slugs,  which  scattered  like  hail, 
when  discharged.  Hundreds  of  men  had  fallen,  and 
hundreds  more  were  dropping ;  but  still  the  heroic 
officers  rushed  on,  and  called  for  new  trials.  Yet, 
there  glittered  the  sword-blades,  firm,  immovable ; 
and  who  might  penetrate  such  a  barrier  ?  Yet,  so 
zealous  were  the  men  themselves,  that  those  behind 
strove  to  push  the  forward  ranks  on  to  the  blades, 
that  they  might  thus  themselves  ascend  on  a  bridge 
made  of  their  bodies ;  but  they  frustrated  this  attempt 
by  dropping  down,  for  none  could  tell  who  fell  from 
16* 


184       MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

choice,  and  who  by  the  effect  of  that  dreadful  fire, 
and  many  who  fell  unhurt  never  rose  again,  crushed 
by  the  crowd.  For  a  little  while  after  the  com- 
mencement of  this  terrible  attack,  military  order  was 
preserved  ;  but  the  tumult  and  noise  was  such,  that 
no  command  could  be  distinctly  heard ;  and  the  con- 
stant falUng  and  struggling  of  the  wounded,  who 
sought  to  avoid  being  trampled  upon,  broke  the 
formations,  and  order  was  impossible.  Yet,  officers 
of  all  stations  would  rush  out,  and,  followed  by  their 
men,  make  a  desperate  assault  on  that  glittering 
steel,  and  only  fall  back  to  swell  the  pile  of  dead 
and  dying.  Two  hours  were  spent  in  these  vain 
efforts,  and  then  the  remaining  soldiers  turned  sadly 
and  slowly  away  ;  for  they  felt  that  the  breach  of 
the  Trinidad  was,  indeed,  impregnable.  An  open- 
ing still  remained  in  the  curtain  of  the  Santa  Maria 
bastion,  and  to  this  they,  directed  their  steps ;  but 
they  found  the  approach  to  it  impeded  by  deep  holes 
and  cuts,  and  their  fearfully  lessening  numbers  told 
how  useless  the  attempt  would  be.  Gathering  in 
dark  groups,  they  leaned  despairingly  on  their  mus- 
kets, and  looked  with  sullen  desperation  at  the 
ramparts  of  the  Trinidad,  where  the  enemy  were 
seen,  by  the  light  of  the  fire-balls  which  they  threw 
up,  aiming  their  guns  with  fearful  precision,  and 
tauntingly  asking,  "  Why  they  did  not  come  into 
Badajos  ?  "  And  now,  unwilling  to  be  finally  con- 
quered, Captains  Nicholas  and  Shaw,  with  fifty  men, 
collected  from  all  regiments,  made  one  more  des- 


THE   FINAL   ASSAULT.  185 

perate  attempt  to  reach  the  Santa  Maria  breach. 
Abeady  had  they  passed  the  deep  cuts,  and  toiled 
over  two-thirds  of  the  dangerous  ground,  when  a 
discharge  of  musketry  levelled  every  man,  except 
Shaw,  to  the  earth.  Nicholas,  and  a  large  propor- 
tion of  the  rest,  were  mortally  wounded. 

After  this,  no  further  attempt  was  made  ;  and  yet 
the  soldiers  would  not  retire,  but  remained  passive 
and  unflinching,  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  It 
was  now  midnight.  Already  two  thousand  brave 
men  had  fallen,  when  Wellington,  who  was  watch- 
ing the  progress  of  the  attack  from  a  height  close  to 
the  quarries,  sent  orders  that  the  troops  should  retire 
and  re-form  for  a  second  assault.  But  so  great  was 
the  confusion,  that  many  of  the  officers  did  not 
receive  the  orders,  and  so  endeavored  to  prevent  the 
soldiers  from  leaving,  which  occasioned  many  deaths. 

But  the  gallant'  defenders  of  Badajos,  although 
successful  at  the  breaches,  found  that  there  was  no 
time  to  look  idly  on.  The  whole  city  was  girdled  by 
fire.  The  third  division  still  maintained  its  ground 
at  the  castle  ;  the  fifth  were  engaged  at  the  Parda- 
leres,  and  on 'the  right  of  the  Guadiana,  while  Gen- 
eral Walker's  brigade  was  escalading  the  bastion  of 
San  Vincente.  This  brigade  had  stolen  silently 
along  the  banks  of  the  river,  the  noise  of  its  ripple 
having  drowned  the  sound  of  their  foot-steps  until 
they  reached  the  barrier  gate.  Just  then  the  ex- 
plosion took  place  at  the  breaches  ;  and  by  its  light 
the  French  sentinels  discovered  their  assailants.     In 


186      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

an  instant,  a  sharp  musketry  was  opened  upon  them. 
The  Portuguese  troops,  panic-struck,  threw  down 
the  scaling-ladders  which  had  been  intrusted  to 
them  ;  but  the  British  snatched  them  up,  and  reared 
them  against  the  walls,  which,  in  this  place,  were 
thirty  feet  high.  Unfortunately,  the  ladders  were  too 
short,  and  this  placed  them  in  a  most  perilous  and 
uncomfortable  position.  A  small  mine  was  sprung 
beneath  their  feet,  adding  its  quota  to  the  fearful 
number  of  the  dead ;  beams  of  wood  and  sheUs, 
fraught  with  living  fire,  were  rolled  upon  their 
heads,  while  showers  of  grape  from  the  flanks  swept 
the  ditch,  dealing  death-blows  thick  and  fast  on 
every  side.  But,  fortunately  for  our  troops,  the  rein- 
forcement to  assist  in  the  defence  of  the  castle  was 
just  at  this  time  called  for,  and  a  part  of  the  walls 
lower  than  the  rest  was  left  unmanned.  Three  lad- 
ders were  hastily  placed  here,  but  they  were  still  too 
short.  But  British  valor  and  ingenuity  soon  over- 
came this  difficulty.  A  soldier,  raised  in  the  arms 
of  his  comrades,  sprang  to  the  top ;  another  followed. 
These  drew  their  comrades  after  them,  and  soon,  in 
spite  of  the  constant  fire  which  the  French  kept  up, 
they  ascended  in  such  numbers,  that  they  could  not 
be  driven  back.  Dividing,  on  their  entrance,  one- 
half  entered  the  town,  while  the  other,  following  the 
ramparts,  attacked  and  won  three  bastions.  Just  as 
the  last  was  yielding.  General  Walker  fell,  covered 
with  wounds.  A  soldier,  who  stood  near  him, 
cried   out,  *' A  mine!   a  minei  "     At  that  word, 


THE  FINAL  ASSAULT.  187 

those  troops  which  had  crossed  the  strong  barrier, 
whom  neither  the  deepness  of  the  ditch  nor  the 
height  of  the  wall  could  appal,  who  flinched  not 
a  moment  at  the  deadly  fire  of  the  enemy,  shrank 
back  at  a  chimera  of  their  own  raising.  Their 
opponents  saw  their  advantage,  and,  making  a  firm 
and  deadly  charge,  drove  them  from  the  ramparts. 
But,  before  the  French  had  time  to  rejoice  in  their 
victory,  a  reserve,  under  Colonel  Nugent,  made  its 
appearance,  and  the  fleeing  soldiers  returned,  and 
soon  gained  the  field. 

The  party  who  had  entered  the  town  at  the  first 
attack  on  San  Vincente  pursued  their  way  through 
the  streets.  They  met  with  no  opposition,  however. 
All  was  still  and  silent  as  the  grave,  and  yet  the 
streets  were  flooded  with  light,  and  every  house 
illuminated.  Sounding  their  bugles,  they  advanced 
to  the  great  square  of  the  town,  but  still  met  no 
enemy.  All  was  bright  and  still,  except  that  low 
murmurs  were  heard  from  behind  the  lattices,  and 
occasionally  a  shot  was  fired  at  them  from  under  the 
doors.  Hence,  leaving  the  square,  they  repaired  to 
the  breaches,  and  attempted  to  surprise  the  garrison, 
by  attacking  them  in  their  rear.  But  they  found 
them  on  the  alert,  and  were  soon  obliged  to  return 
to  the  streets.  But  the  English  were  now  pouring 
in  on  every  side,  and  the  brave  defenders  of  the 
ramparts  and  the  breaches  turned  to  defend  their 
homes.  A  short  and  desultory  fight  followed. 
Generals  Viellande  and  Phillipon,  brave  and  deter- 


188     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

mined  to  the  last,  were  both  wounded;  and,  gradually 
falling  back,  they  retreated,  with  a  few  hundred 
soldiers,  to  San  Christoval,  where  they  surrendered  to 
Lord  Fitzroy  Somerset.  Then  loud  shouts  of 
victory !  victory !  resounded  through  the  streets,  and 
found  its  joyful  echo  in  many  hearts. 

During  this  siege,  five  thousand  men  and  officers 
had  fallen ;  thirty-five  hundred  having  lost  their 
lives  the  night  of  the  assault, — twenty-four  hundred 
at  the  breaches  alone.  If  any  one  would  picture  to 
himself  the  terrible  scenes  that  occured  at  this  spot, 
let  him  imagine  a  lot  of  less  than  a  hundred  square 
yards,  which,  in  the  short  space  of  little  more  than 
two  hours,  was  deluged  by  the  blood  of  twenty- 
four  hundred  men.  Nor  did  all  these  fall  by  sudden 
death.  Some  perished  by  steel,  some  by  shot,  some 
were  drowned,  some  crushed  and  mangled  by  heavy 
weights,  others  trampled  down  by  the  crowd,  and 
hundreds  dashed  to  pieces  by  the  fiery  explosions ; 
and  all  this  occurred  where  the  only  light  was  the 
intense  glare  of  the  explosions,  and  the  lurid  flame 
of  the  burning  dead,  which  came  to  mingle  its  hor- 
rible stench  with  the  sickening  odors  of  the  gun- 
powder, and  the  nauseous  smells  of  the  exploding 
shells.  Here,  too,  the  groans  of  the  wounded  were 
echoed  back  by  the  shrieks  of  the  dying  ;  and,  ever 
and  anon,  between  the  roar  of  the  artillery  and  the 
thunder  of  the  bursting  shells,  were  heard  the  bitter 
taunts  of  the  enemy.  Let  any  one  imagine  all  this, 
I  say,  and  they  may  have  some  faint  ideas  of  the 


SACK   OF   THE   CITY.  189 

horrors  of  war.  Yet,  dreadful  as  this  is,  could  the 
veil  but  drop  here,  the  soldier's  heart  might  still 
throb  with  pride,  as  he  recounted  the  hard-fought 
battle,  where  valor  stood  preeminent,  and  none 
yielded,  but  to  death,  until  the  victory  was  won. 
But  there  is  still  another  dark  and  revolting  page, 
which,  in  a  history  hke  this,  designed  to  paint  the 
horrors  as  well  as  the  glories  of  war,  it  were  not  well 
to  omit.  I  refer  to  the  scenes  which  followed  the 
victory,  when  Badajos  lay  at  the  mercy  of  its  con- 
quering foe.  If  there  is  one  feature  of  war  more 
repulsive  than  another,  one  from  which  every  good 
feeling  of  the  heart  shrinks  back  appalled,  it  is  from 
the  scene  which  invariably  follows,  when  permission 
is  given  to  sack  and  plunder  a  conquered  city.  All 
restraint  is  laid  aside.  Men's  passions,  wound  up 
almost  to  frenzy  by  the  exciting  and  maddening 
scenes  through  which  they  have  passed,  will  have  a 
vent ;  and  no  sorrow  is  too  holy,  no  place  too 
sacred,  to  shield  its  occupant  from  the  storm.  Our 
men  scattered  themselves  through  the  city,  aU  with 
liberty  to  do  what  they  pleased,  to  take  what  they 
wanted.  Houses  were  broken  open,  and  robbed. 
If  any  resistance  was  made,  death  was  the  certain 
penalty ;  and  often  death  in  such  a  form  that  a 
soldier's  fate  would  have  been  mercy.  All,  it  is 
true,  were  not  alike.  In  such  an  army  there  are 
always  brave  men,  who,  even  in  such  an  hour,  would 
scorn  to  commit  a  dishonorable  action,  and  these 
seconded  the  attempts  of  our  ofl&cers  to  preserve  at 


190    MILITAEY  ADVENTXJKES   OF    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

least  a  semblance  of  order ;  but  they  were  too  few 
to  accomplish  much.  All  the  dreadful  passions  of 
human  nature  were  excited,  and  they  would  have 
way.  Many  lost  their  hves  in  vain  attempts  to  check 
the  cruelty  and  lust  and  drunkenness  of  their  own 
soldiers.  For  two  days  and  nights  Badajos  re- 
sounded with  the  shrieks  and  piteous  lamentations 
of  her  defenceless  victims,  with  groans  and  shouts 
and  imprecations,  varied  by  the  hissing  of  fires  from 
houses  first  plundered,  then  destroyed,  the  crashing 
of  doors  and  windows,  and  the  almost  ceaseless  re- 
port of  muskets  used  in  violence.  It  was  not  until 
the  third  day  that  the  soldiers,  exhausted  by  their 
own  excesses,  could  be  collected  in  sufficient  num- 
bers to  bury  the  dead  of  their  own  regiments,  while 
many  of  the  wounded  perished  solely  from  want  of 
necessary  care.  I  had  imagined  that  the  miseries 
of  intemperance  were  no  unfamiliar  sight  to  me  ;  yet 
never  before,  or  since,  has  it  been  my  lot  to  meet  the 
madness  which  characterized  the  eager  search  for 
liquor,  on  every  side.  An  instance  that  occurred  in 
our  own  regiment,  I  will  relate.  Several  of  our 
men,  and  among  them  some  that  I  had  known  in 
Ireland,  and  should  never  have  suspected  of  such 
conduct,  broke  into  a  cellar  where  was  stored  a  large 
quantity  of  wine.  There  were  many  casks,  and  some 
of  them  contained  wine  that  bore  the  brand  of  scores 
of  years.  They  tore  down  the  doors  for  tables,  and 
commenced  their  mad  feast.  Bottles  half  emptied 
were  thrown  across  the  cellar,  and  what  would  have 


A   DISCOVERY.  191 

sufficed  a  regiment  for  months,  was  recklessly  poured 
upon  the  floor.  Unconscious,  or  not  caring  what  they 
did,  they  stopped  not  to  draw  the  wine,  but,  knocking 
in  the  head  of  the  casks,  proceeded  to  try  their  va- 
rious qualities.  At  length,  overcome  by  intoxication, 
they  sank  upon  the  floor,  and  paid  the  penalty  of 
their  rashness  with  their  lives  ;  for,  when  a  diUgent 
search  was  made  for  absentees,  they  were  discovered 
actually  drowned  in  the  wine.  Many  were  burned 
to  death  in  houses  which  they  themselves  had  fired. 
For  my  own  part,  I  had  been  fortunate  enough  to 
pass  through  aU  the  horrors  of  the  siege,  and  the 
bloody  scenes  of  the  assault,  unhurt.  Excitement 
had  rendered  me  reckless  of  danger,  and  I  hurried 
on,  scarce  knowing  where  I  was  or  what  I  did. 
Now  that  this  had  passed,  I  felt  exhausted  and 
weary,  and  very  thirsty.  My  comrade  and  myself 
resolved  that  our  first  search  should  be  for  something 
to  drink.  We  hurried  on,  until  we  reached  a  large 
store,  where  we  thought  we  should  find  some  liquor. 
The  fastenings  of  the  outer  door  soon  yielded  to  our 
efforts,  but  the  door  to  the  cellar  we  found  it  impos- 
sible to  open  or  break  down.  Just  at  this  moment, 
a  band  of  pioneers  happened  to  be  passing,  who 
always  carry  with  them  huge  hatchets.  We  called 
to  them,  and,  with  their  assistance,  soon  made  our 
way  to  the  cellar.  But  here  a  great  disappointment 
awaited  us.  We  found  no  liquor,  but  only  two 
tiers  of  firkins,  used  for  holding  butter.  One  of  our 
men,  in  anger,  struck  his  hatchet  into  one  of  them, 

17 


192      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    O'nEIL. 

when,  to  our  great  surprise,  out  rolled  whole  handfuls 
of  doubloons.  We  then  struck  the  heads  of  the 
firkins  with  the  butt-ends  of  our  muskets,  but  could 
not  break  them.  The  hatchets,  however,  soon  com- 
pleted the  work.  When  the  heads  were  knocked 
out,  the  money  was  so  finnly  pressed  together  that 
it  came  out  in  one  solid  mass.  Each  one  of  us  then 
took  what  we  pleased,  I  placed  three  handsful  in 
my  comrade's  knapsack,  and  he  did  tjie  same  by  me. 
I  then  filled  my  haversack,  and  even  my  stockings, 
■with  the  precious  treasure.  Part  of  our  company 
remained  as  guard,  while  the  rest  went  to  report  to 
our  commander  the  discovery  we  had  made.  I  soon 
found  that  I  had  stored  more  money  than  I  was  able 
to  carry,  so  I  threw  a  part  of  it  in  an  old  well.  Our 
commander  immediately  sent  a  detachment  of  men  to 
empty  the  cellar,  and  they  brought  away  no  less  than 
eight  mules'  burden  of  gold.  I  cannot  now  recall  its 
exact  amount,  but  such  was  its  value  that  our  officers 
determined  to  send  it  to  Brussels,  when  the  army 
should  leave  Badajos. 

We  take  the  following  description  of  the  scenes  to 
which  we  have  above  referred  from  an  eye-mtness. 
He  says  :  "It  has  been  the  practice  of  modem  his- 
torians to  describe,  in  the  glowing  language  of  exag- 
gerated eulogy,  every  act  done  by  the  British  and 
their  allies,  while  their  pens  have  been  equally  busy 
in  vilifying  and  defaming  all  who  were  opposed  to 
them.  Perhaps  there  is  no  circumstance  to  which 
this  applies  with  more  force   than  the  description 


ATROCIOUS    CONDUCT    OF   THE   VICTORS.  193 

usually  given  of  the  conduct  of  the  British  armies 
and  their  allies  after  the  taking  of  Badajos.  "While 
their  gallantry  is  praised  to  the  utmost,  their  evil 
deeds  are  left  to  find  the  light  as  they  may ;  but 
*  foul  deeds  will  rise,  though  all  the  earth  overwhelm 
them.'  Before  six  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  7th 
of  April,  all  organization  among  the  assaulting  col- 
umns had  ceased,  and  a  scene  of  plunder  and  cru- 
elty that  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  parallel  for 
took  place.  The  army,  so  orderly  the  preceding  day, 
—  so  effective  in  its  organizations, —  seemed  all  at 
once  transformed  into  a  vast  band  of  brigands.  The 
horde  of  Spaniards,  as  well  as  Portuguese  women  and 
men,  that  now  eagerly  sought  for  admission  to  plun- 
der, augmented  the  number  of  this  band  to  what  the 
army  had  been  before  the  battle  ;  and  twenty  thou- 
sand persons,  armed  with  all  power  to  act  as  they 
thought  fit,  and  almost  all  armed  with  weapons 
which  could  be  used  at  the  pleasure  of  the  bearers, 
for  the  purpose  of  enforcing  any  wish  they  might 
seek  to  gratify,  were  let  loose  upon  this  devoted  city. 
Subject  to  no  power  of  control  from  others,  intoxica- 
tion caused  them  to  lose  all  restraint  on  themselves. 
If  the  reader  can  for  a  moment  fancy  a  fine  city,  con- 
taining an  immense  population,  among  which  may  be 
reckoned  a  proportion  of  the  finest  women  Spain,  or 
perhaps  the  world,  can  boast  of, —  if  he  could  fancy 
that  population  and  these  women  left  to  the  mercy 
of  twenty  thousand  infuriated  and  licentious  soldiers, 
for  two  days  and  two  nights,  he  can  well  imagine 


194     MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

the  horrors  enacted  in  Badajos.  Wine  and  spirit 
stores  were  first  forced  open,  and  casks  of  the  choicest 
wines  and  brandy  dragged  into  the  streets  ;  and,  when 
the  men  had  drank  as  much  as  they  fancied,  the  heads 
of  the  vessels  were  stove  in,  or  the  casks  broken,  so 
that  the  liquor  ran  about  in  streams.  In  the  town 
were  large  numbers  of  animals, —  sheep,  oxen,  and 
horses, —  belonging  to  the  garrison.  These  were 
among  the  first  things  taken  possession  of ;  and  the 
wealthy  occupier  of  many  a  house  was  glad  to  be 
allowed  the  employment  of  conducting  them  to  our 
camp,  as,  by  so  doing,  he  got  away  from  a  place 
where  his  life  was  not  worth  a  minute's  purchase. 
Terrible  as  was  this  scene,  it  was  not  possible  to  avoid 
occasionally  laughing  ;  for  the  conducteur  was  gener- 
ally not  only  compelled  to  drive  a  herd  of  cattle,  but 
also  obliged  to  carry  the  bales  of  plunder  taken  by 
his  employer  perhaps  from  his  own  house.  And  the 
stately  gravity  with  which  the  Spaniard  went  through 
his  work,  dressed  in  short  breeches,  frilled  shirt,  and 
a  hat  and  plumes,  followed  by  our  ragamuffin  soldiers 
with  fixed  bayonets,  presented  a  scene  that  Cruik- 
shank  himself  would  have  been  puzzled  to  delineate 
justly.  The  plunder  so  captured  was  deposited  under 
a  guard  composed  principally  of  soldiers'  wives.  A 
few  hours  were  sufficient  to  despoil  the  shops  of  their 
property.  Night  then  closed  in,  and  then  a  scene 
took  place  that  pen  would  fail  to  describe.  Insult 
and  infamy,  fiendish  acts  of  violence  and  open-handed 
cruelty,  everywhere  prevailed.   Age,  as  weU  as  youth, 


TERRIBLE   DISORDER.  195 

was  alike  unrespected,  and  perhaps  not  one  house, 
and  scarcely  a  person,  in  this  vast  town,  escaped  in- 
jury. War  is  a  terrible  engine,  and  when  once  set 
in  motion,  it  is  not  possible  to  calculate  when  or  where 
it  will  stop. 

"  The  8th  of  April  was  a  fearful  day  for  the  in- 
habitants. The  soldiers  had  become  so  reckless  that 
no  person's  life,  of  whatever  sex,  rank,  or  station,  was 
safe.  If  they  entered  a  house  that  had  not  been  de- 
spoiled of  its  furniture  and  wines,  they  were  at  once 
destroyed.  If  it  was  empty,  they  fired  at  the  win- 
dows, or  at  the  inmates,  or  often  at  each  other.  Then 
they  would  saUy  into  the  streets,  and  amuse  them- 
selves by  firing  at  the  church  bells  in  the  steeples,  or 
at  any  one  who  might  be  passing.  Many  of  the  sol- 
diers were  killed,  while  carrying  away  their  plunder, 
by  the  hands  of  those  who,  a  few  hours  before,  would 
have  risked  their  own  lives  to  protect  them.  Hun- 
dreds of  these  fellows  took  possession  of  the  best 
warehouses,  and  acted  as  merchants ;  these  were 
ejected  by  a  stronger  party,  who,  after  a  fearful 
strife,  would  displace  them,  only  themselves  to  give 
place  to  others,  with  terrible  loss  of  Hfe.  To  put  a 
stop  to  such  a  frightful  scene,  it  was  necessary  to  use 
some  forbearance,  as  well  as  severity;  for,  to  have 
punished  all  who  were  guilty  would  have  been  to 
decimate  the  army.  In  the  first  instance,  parties 
from  those  regiments  that  had  least  participated  in 
the  combat  were  ordered  into  the  town  to  coUect  the 
hordes  of  stragglers,  that  fiUed  the  streets  with  crimes 
-     17* 


196      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

too  horrible  to  detail ;  and,  when  this  measure  was 
found  inadequate,  a  brigade  of  troops  were  marched 
into  the  city,  and  were  directed  to  stand  by  their 
arms,  while  any  marauders  remained.  Gibbets  and 
triangles  were  erected,  and  many  of  the  men  were 
flogged.  A  few  hours  so  employed  were  sufficient 
to  purge  the  town  of  the  robbers  that  still  lurked  in 
the  streets,  many  of  whom  were  Spaniards  and  Por- 
tuguese, not  connected  with  the  army,  and  infinitely 
worse  than  our  troops.  Towards  evening  tranquillity 
began  to  return ;  but  it  was  a  fearful  quiet,  and 
might  be  likened  to  a  ship  at  sea,  which,  after  having 
been  plundered  and  dismasted  by  pirates,  should  be 
left  floating  on  the  ocean,  without  a  morsel  of  food 
to  supply  the  wants  of  its  crew,  or  a  stitch  of  canvas 
to  cover  its  naked  masts.  By  degrees,  however,  the 
inhabitants  returned,  and  families  left  alive  again 
became  reunited  ;  yet  there  was  scarce  a  family  that 
did  not  mourn  its  dead." 

The  same  writer  says  :  "  Early  on  the  morning  of 
the  9th  of  April,  a  great  concourse  of  Spaniards, 
from  the  neighboring  villages,  thronged  our  lines. 
They  came  to  purchase  the  booty  captured  by  our 
men  ;  and  each  succeeding  hour  increased  the  supply 
of  their  wants,  numerous  and  varied  as  they  were, 
and  our  camp  had  the  appearance  of  a  vast  market. 
Some  of  the  soldiers  realized  upwards  of  one  thou- 
sand dollars  from  the  sale,  and  almost  all  gained 
handsomely  by  an  enterprise  in  which  they  had  dis- 
played so  much  devotion  and  bravery  ;  and  it  is  only 


WELLINGTON    STILL   AT    BADAJOS.  197 

to  be  lamented  that  they  tarnished  laurels  so  nobly- 
won,  by  traits  of  barbarity  which,  for  the  sake  of 
human  nature,  we  hope  have  not  often  found  a  par- 
aUel." 

It  was  not  until  order  was  in  some  measure  re- 
stored that  the  wounded  and  dead  could  be  attended 
to ;  but  now  graves  were  dug,  and  the  mangled 
remains,  so  lately  full  of  life  and  activity,  burning 
with  high  hopes  and  fond  anticipations,  were  laid 
away,  adding  their  numbers  to  the  vast  pile  of  vic- 
tims sacrificed  to  that  Moloch  —  war.  It  is  said  that 
when  Wellington  learned  the  number  of  the  Mien, 
and  the  extent  of  his  loss  in  the  death  of  those  brave 
men,  a  passionate  burst  of  tears  told  how  much  he 
was  affected  by  it. 

For  a  few  days  Wellington  lingered  near  Badajos, 
hoping  that  Soult,  to  whom  PhilUpon  had  sent  the 
fatal  news  even  in  the  confusion  of  his  surrender, 
would  be  tempted  from  his  intrenchments  to  risk  a 
battle  with  the  allies,  while  the  troops  were  flushed 
with  victory.  But  this  general,  although  feeling 
deeply  the  loss  of  one  of  his  most  impregnable  for- 
tresses, found  himself  too  much  occupied  with  the 
other  division  of  the  allied  army  to  venture  on  such 
a  course. 

It  was  Wellington's  intention,  in  case  this  battle 
did  not  take  place,  to  proceed  immediately  to  Anda- 
lusia ;  but,  learning  that  the  Spanish  general  had 
failed  to  garrison  the  fortresses  already  taken  in  a 
suitable  manner,  he  was  obliged  to  alter  his  own 


198      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

course  of  action,  in  order  to  secure  former  conquests. 
While  he  remained  here,  his  time  was  busily  occu- 
pied in  repairing  the  breaches,  in  levelling  the 
trenches,  and  restoring  the  injured  fortifications. 
This  being  done,  he  placed  here,  as  a  garrison,  two 
regiments  of  Portuguese,  and  marched  himself,  with 
the  main  body  of  his  troops,  upon  Beira. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Romantic  Adventures  of  Sir  Colquhoun  Grant.  —  The  Author  ordered, 
with  a  Convoy,  to  Brussels.  —  Description  of  the  Route.  —  The  Pass  of 
Roncesvalles.  —  Memorable  Defeat  of  the  Army  of  Charlemagne  there. 
—  A  sudden  Attack  and  Repulse.  —  The  Author  arrives  at  Brussels, 
and  joins  the  Garrison  of  that  Place. 

Soon  after  our  army  left  Badajos,  the  remarkable 
and  interesting  adventures  of  Sir  Colquhoun  Grant, 
who  was  an  officer  in  our  army,  attracted  general 
attention  ;  and,  though  I  did  not  myself  learn  all 
the  particulars  I  am  about  to  relate  until  after  my 
return  from  the  continent,  they  are  in  themselves  of 
so  interesting  a  nature,  and  so  closely  connected  with 
the  success  of  our  arms  in  the  Peninsula,  that  I  trust 
my  readers  will  deem  these  reasons  a  sufficient  excuse 
for  their  introduction  here. 

Intelligence  had  been  brought  to  our  commander 
that  the  army  of  Portugal,  under  Marmont,  was  con- 
centrating on  the  Tormes,  and  that  they  were  intend- 
ing to  attack  the  fortresses  of  Almeida  and  Ciudad. 
If  this  was  indeed  so,  it  was  all-important  that  he 
should  immediately  march  to  their  relief,  as  their 
garrisons  and  stores  were  far  too  weak  to  sustain  an 
attack  or  stand  a  siege.  But,  as  Wellington  could 
not  beUeve  that  the  French  general  would  take  what 
seemed  to  him  so  imprudent  a  course,  he  suspected 


200       MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

that  this  information  was  only  a  ruse  to  draw  him 
from  his  position.  It  was  absolutely  necessary  that 
he  should  know  the  truth.  Among  his  troops  was 
an  officer  named  Colquhoun  Grant.  Gentlemanly 
and  peculiarly  attractive  in  his  manners,  bold  even  to 
the  utmost  daring,  and  yet  with  so  much  subtlety  of 
genius,  tempered  with  the  wisest  discretion,  he 
seemed  exactly  fitted  by  nature  for  the  dangerous 
and  dehcate  office  which  our  commander-in-chief 
intrusted  to  him,  which  was  to  watch  Marmont's 
proceedings,  and,  if  possible,  to  learn  his  tnie  inten- 
tions. He  secured  the  services  of  a  Spanish  peas- 
ant, named  Leon,  whose  own  life  it  had  been  his 
good  fortune  to  preserve  in  a  skirmish,  and  whose 
only  sister  Grant  had  rescued  from  the  guerillas,  just 
as  they  were  bearing  her  off.  So  grateful  was  poor 
Leon,  that  he  esteemed  himself  only  too  happy  in 
being  allowed  to  share  his  master's  danger  in  this 
perilous  enterprise.  Having  passed  the  Tormes  in 
the  night,  as  morning  was  breaking,  he  rode  boldly  up 
to  the  French  camp,  dressed  in  his  own  uniform  and 
followed  by  his  servant.  In  answer  to  the  challenge 
of  the  sentinel  on  duty,  he  informed  him  that  he  was 
the  bearer  of  a  message  to  one  of  the  principal  offi- 
cers of  the  French  army,  and  was  admitted  without 
hesitation.  The  wife  of  this  officer  had  accompa- 
nied her  husband  to  Spain,  and  was  in  Badajos  at 
the  time  of  its  surrender.  During  the  excesses 
which  foUowed,  her  house  was  entered  by  some  ruf- 
fians, and  she  would  have  fallen  a  victim  to  their 


ADVENTURES    OF   SIR   COLQ"!jHOUN   GRANT.        201 

rage,  had  it  not  been  for  the  timely  interference  of 
Grant,  who  rescued  her  from  her  assailants,  and  bore 
her  to  a  place  of  comparative  safety.  As  a  small 
memento  of  her  gratitude,  when  the  army  left,  she 
wrote  him  a  note  expressing  her  heartfelt  thanks, 
and  accompanied  it  by  a  valuable  ring.  Armed  with 
the  note  and  ring,  he  proceeded  at  once  to  the  tent  of 
the  officer,  who  gladly  received  him  as  the  bearer  of 
information  from  his  wife,  and  invited  him  to  share 
the  hospitalities  of  the  camp.  Here  he  remained 
for  three  days,  and,  by  his  adroitness  in  conversa- 
tion, obtained  exact  information*  as  to  Marmont's 
object,  and  the  preparation  he  had  made,  both  of  pro- 
visions and  scaling-ladders.  While  there,  each  day 
a  Spanish  peasant  made  his  appearance  in  the  camp, 
laden  with  fruit  for  sale ;  and  while  Grant  was  appar- 
ently busy  in  purchasing,  he  conveyed  to  him  notes  of 
his  information,  which  were  immediately  carried  to 
Wellington.  Just  before  the  night  sentinels  had 
taken  their  posts  on  the  third  evening,  while  he 
was  in  earnest  conversation  with  a  number  of  the 
French  officers,  he  heard  the  low  signal  of  the 
peasant  outside  the  tent.  He  succeeded  in  excusing 
his  absence  in  such  a  manner  as  not  to  attract  ob- 
servation, and  received  the  alarming  intelligence  that 
he  was  known  to  be  in  the  French  cantonments,  and 
that  a  general  order  was  even  now  circulating,  giving 
a  description  of  his  person,  and  commanding  the  sol- 
diers to  use  their  utmost  exertions  to  secure  him. 
Guards  had  already  been  stationed  in  a  circle  round 


202     MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

the  army,  and  escape  seemed  impossible.  Not  a 
moment  was  to  be  lost.  Leaving  his  horse  with 
Leon,  who  was  to  meet  him  at  Huerta  at  daybreak, 
he  crept  past  the  sleeping  soldiers,  and  succeeded  in 
reaching  that  village  undiscovered.  But  it  was  now 
daybreak,  and  the  outward  circle  of  the  guards  was 
yet  to  be  passed.  Before  him  lay  a  deep  river, 
fordable  only  at  one  point,  and  along  which  videttes 
were  posted,  constantly  patrolling  back  and  forward, 
meeting  at  the  ford,  while  the  whole  battalion  was 
engaged  in  the  search.  Yet  these  difficulties  did  not 
daunt  him.  Leon'  and  Grant  met  at  the  house  of  a 
peasant,  one  of  his  agents,  who  had  several  of  his 
friends,  wrapped  in  their  large  Spanish  cloaks,  ready 
to  assist  him.  They  advanced  towards  the  ford,  one 
of  them  leading  his  horse,  and  the  others  spreading 
their  cloaks,  as  if  estimating  their  comparative  width. 
Under  this  cover,  he  stole  along  down  to  the  ford. 
Here,  waiting  until  the  sentinels  had  separated  their 
utmost  distance,  which  was  three  hundred  yards,  he 
boldly  mounted  his  horse,  and  dashed  into  the  river. 
They  both  fired,  but  without  success,  and,  without 
stopping  to  reload,  pursued  him.  A  wood  lay  directly 
before  him.  This  covert  he  reached  in  safety,  and  was 
soon  hid  in  its  recesses.  Here  his  faithful  Leon  joined 
him,  and  all  pursuit  of  both  was  baffled.  Grant  here 
ascertained  that  the  French  were  preparing  to  storm 
Ciudad  Rodrigo,  or,  at  least,  that  they  conversed 
freely  of  doing  so.  From  this  fact,  he  judged  it 
might  be    only   a   mask   of   their  real   intentions. 


ADVENTURES   OF   SIB   COLQUHOUN   GRANT.        203 

'These,  if  possible,  together  with  their  numbers  and 
the  direction  of  their  march,  he  wished  to  discover. 
He  therefore  concealed  himself  in  the  branches  of 
a  high  tree,  just  where  the  road  directs  its  course  to 
the  passes,  and  beneath  which  the  whole  army  must 
proceed.  Here  he  counted  every  battalion  and  gun, 
and  found  that  their  course  was  directed  against  Ciu- 
dad.  When  the  last  soldier  was  out  of  sight,  he 
descended  from  the  tree,  and,  entering  the  village 
they  had  just  left,  he  discovered  all  the  scaling-lad- 
ders securely  stored.  He  immediately  wrote  to  Wel- 
lington that  he  need  have  no  fears  for  that  fortress. 

His  next  object  was  to  discover  whether  Marmont 
was  marching  upon  Castello  Branco  or  Coimbra.  To 
reach  the  former  place,  it  was  necessary  to  descend 
to  the  pass  by  a  succession  of  ridges.  He  stationed 
himself  on  one  of  the  lowest  of  these,  thinking  that 
the  dwarf  oaks,  of  which  there  was  here  a  thick 
growth,  would  hide  him  ;  but,  as  the  French  officers 
were  descending  from  the  ridge  above,  they  happened 
to  spy  him  with  their  glasses,  and  desp.'itched  some 
dragoons  in  pursuit.  Leon's  lynx  eyes,  always  on 
the  watch,  soon  perceived  them,  and,  alarming  his 
master,  they  rode  forward  a  short  distance,  and  then 
wheeled  in  another  direction.  But  now  the  alarm 
had  spread,  and  all  over  the  wood  the  soldiers  were 
engaged  in  eager  search.  Finding  every  pass  beset 
by  their  enemies,  they  left  their  horses,  and  fled  on 
foot  through  the  thickest  of  the  oaks.  But  these 
were  not  thick  enough  to  veil  them  from  the  officers, 
18 


204      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

on  the  higher  ridges,  who,  by  the  waving  of  their 
hats,  directed  the  chase.  Efforts  like  these  could  not 
last  long.  Leon  fell,  exhausted,  and  Grant  refused 
to  yield  to  his  entreaties  to  leave  him.  The  enemy 
soon  made  their  appearance,  and,  in  despite  of  the 
earnest  entreaties  and  prayers  of  Grant,  they  kiUed 
poor  Leon,  and  carried  Grant  to  Marmont's  tent. 
This  general  received  him  apparently  with  much 
kindness,  and  invited  him  to  dinner.  While  seated 
at  the  table,  he  conversed  freely  with  his  prisoner, 
but  closed  by  exacting  from  him  a  parole  that  he 
would  not  suffer  himself  to  be  released  by  the  Parti- 
das  while  passing  through  Spain.  When  Welling- 
ton discovered  the  capture  of  this  faithful  servant, 
he  offered  a  reward  of  two  thousand  dollars  to  any 
one  who  would  release  him.  Marmont  then  placed 
his  prisoner  under  a  strong  escort,  and  sent  him  to 
France.  He  also  sent  with  him  a  letter  to  the  gov- 
ernor of  Bayonne,  designating  him  as  a  dangerous 
spy,  and  recommending  the  governor  to  send  him,  in 
irons,  immediately  to  Paris.  The  gentlemanly  con- 
duct of  Grant,  during  his  journey,  and  his  lion- 
hearted  bravery,  so  won  upon  the  esteem  of  one  of 
the  officers  of  his  escort,  that  he  acquainted  him  with 
the  contents  of  the  letter,  before  reaching  Bayonne. 
It  was  the  custom  for  the  prisoners,  on  their  arrival 
in  this  city,  to  wait  on  the  authorities,  and  procure  a 
passport  to  Verdun.  His  friend  the  officer  succeeded 
in  delaying  the  dehvery  of  Marmont's  letter  until 
these  formalities  had  been  attended  to.     Grant's  ob- 


ADVENTURES  OF  SIR  COLQUHOUN  GRANT.    205 

ject  then  would  be  to  rejoin  his  regiment  in  Spain  ; 
but  he  well  knew  that  the  search  for  him  would  be 
made  in  that  direction.     He,  therefore,  resolved  to 
go  to  Paris,  because  he  judged  that  if  the  governor 
of  Bayonne  did  not  succeed  in  recapturing  him,  he 
would,  for  his  own  security,  suppress  the  letter,  in 
hopes  the  matter  would  be  no  further  thought  of.    He 
therefore  went  directly  to  the  hotels,  and,  finding 
that  General  Souham  was  going  there  on  his  return 
from  Spain,  he  boldly  introduced  himself,  and  re- 
quested permission  to  join  his  party.     Now,  Souham 
had  often  heard  of  Grant,  and  was  extremely  pleased 
to  make  his  acquaintance,  and  of  course  yielded  a 
ready  assent  to  his  proposal.     On  their  way,  he  con- 
versed freely  with  him  about  his  adventures,  little 
thinking  that  he  was  aiding  him  in  one  of  the  most 
skilful  of  them  all.     While  passing  through  Orleans, 
he  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet  an  English  agent, 
who  gave  him  a  recommendation  to  another  secret 
agent  in  Paris,  whose  assistance  would  be  of  great 
use  to  him  in  effecting  his  final  escape.     When  he 
arrived  in  Paris,  he  took  his  leave  of  Souham,  and 
then  went  directly  to  the  house  of  the  Parisian  agent. 
This  gentleman  received  him  with  much  kindness, 
and  having  ascertained  that  no  inquiry  had  been  set 
on  foot  about  his  escape,  furnished  him  with  a  sum 
of  money,  and  recommended  to  him  to  take  rooms  in  a 
very  public  street,  and  to  attend  and  be  interested  in 
the  amusements  of  the  city.     He  even  appeared  at 
the  theatres,  and  frequented  the  coffee-houses,  as  his 


206      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   0*NEIL. 

friend  was  connected  with  the  police,  and  would  give 
him  seasonable  warning,  in  case  he  should  he  sus- 
pected. Several  weeks  passed  away  in  this  manner, 
when  it  so  happened  that  an  American  —  one  of  his 
fellow-lodgers  who  was  just  preparing  to  return  home 
—  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  died.  The  evening 
before  his  death,  as  Grant  was  sitting  by  his  side,  his 
passport  was  brought  to  him,  and  laid  upon  a  table 
near.  It  occurred  to  Grant,  that,  in  case  of  his  death, 
he  might  possess  himself  of  this  passport  without 
injury  to  any  one,  which  he  accordingly  did,  and 
proceeded  at  once  with  it,  unquestioned,  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Loire.  He  was  delighted  to  find  here  a  ship 
just  ready  to  sail  for  America.  He  went  on  board 
and  engaged  his  passage,  and  was  told  that  the  ship 
would  sail  by  noon.  An  hour  had  not  elapsed,  how- 
ever, when  a  despatch  was  received  from  Paris, 
informing  the  captain  that  important  reasons  existed 
why  he  should  delay  his  journey.  The  captain, 
annoyed  by  this  interference  with  his  views,  men- 
tioned it  to  his  passengers  ;  and  Grant,  seeing  at  once 
that  he  was  in  danger,  threw  himself  upon  the  cap- 
tain's mercy,  by  frankly  explaining  to  him  his  real 
situation.  This  officer  kindly  entered  at  once  into 
his  plans,  advising  him  to  assume  the  character  of  a 
discontented  sailor.  (5rant  then  dressed  as  a  sailor, 
and,  with  forty  dollars  in  money  which  the  captain 
gave  him  for  that  purpose,  went  to  the  American 
consul,  and  deposited  in  his  hands  the  money,  as  a 
pledge  that  he  would  prosecute  the  captain  for  ill 


ADVENTURES  OF  SIR  COLQUHOUN  GRANT.    207 

treatment,  when  he  should  arrive  in  the  States.  In 
return  for  this,  the  consul  furnished  him  with  the 
certificate  of  a  discharged  sailor,  which  permitted 
him  to  pass  from  port  to  port,  as  if  in  search  of  a 
ship.  He  wandered  about  thus  for  some  days,  when 
one  day  he  saw  a  boatman  sitting  idly  in  his  boat, 
apparently  with  nothing  to  do.  He  accosted  him, 
and,  thinking  that  he  might  be  moulded  to  his  pur- 
pose, he  offered  him  ten  Napoleons,  if  he  would  row 
him  to  a  small  island  which  appeared  in  the  distance, 
where  English  ships  often  stopped  to  take  in  water. 
The  boatman  agreed  to  do  so  that  night.  The  even- 
ing was  fair,  and  the  boat  made  rapid  progress. 
Already  the  island  rose  upon  their  view  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  beyond  it  loomed  up  the  dark  masts  of 
the  English  vessel  which  was  the  harbor  of  safety 
and  happiness  to  Grant.  Already  he  had  deemed 
himself  almost  beyond  the  reach  of  danger,  when 
suddenly  he  perceived  that  the  course  of  his  guide 
was  altered.  He  demanded  the  reason  of  this,  but 
no  answer  was  returned.  Drawing  a  knife  from  his 
pocket,  he  was  about  to  enforce  his  demand,  when 
suddenly  two  men  sprang  up  from  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  where  they  had  been  concealed,  and  he  saw  that 
to  struggle  against  his  fate  would  be  useless.  Still,  his 
courage  did  not  desert  him.  He  would  yet  be  free. 
The  dastardly  boatman  offered  to  proceed  to  the  island, 
if  more  money  was  paid  him  ;  but  Grant,  when  he 
had  promised  his  ten  Napoleons,  had  spent  the  last 
of  his  little  stock,  and  the  boatman,  notwithstanding 
1-8* 


208      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    O'nEIL. 

his  breach  of  contract,  demanded  the  whole.  This 
demand,  with  great  coolness  and  the  utmost  resolution, 
was  refused  by  Grant.  One  Napoleon  he  should 
have,  but  no  more.  The  boatman  threatened  to  de- 
nounce him  to  the  police  ;  but  Grant,  always  pre- 
pared, told  him,  if  he  did,  that  he  would  at  once 
accuse  him  of  aiding  the  escape  of  a  prisoner  of  War, 
and  would  adduce  the  great  price  of  his  boat  as  the 
proof  of  his  guilt.  This  menace  was  too  powerful 
to  be  resisted,  and  Grant  was  allowed  to  depart  un- 
molested. In  a  few  days  Grant  engaged  a  fisherman, 
who,  with  his  son,  pursued  his  calling  on  the  coast, 
to  carry  him  to  the  island.  The  bargain  was  this 
time  faithfully  performed ;  but  fortune  seemed  every- 
where against  him.  There  was- not  a  ship  at  the 
island,  and  it  was  far  too  small  for  him  to  venture  to 
try  concealment  there.  His  next  course  was  to  ex- 
change clothes  with  the  fisherman's  son,  and  take  his 
place  in  the  boat.  Having  spent  some  time  in  fish- 
ing, they  gradually  bore  off  to  the  south,  where 
rumor  said  a  large  English  ship-of-war  was  to  be 
found.  In  a  few  hours  they  obtained  a  glimpse  of 
her,  and  were  steering  that  way,  when  a  shot  from 
a  coast  battery  brought  them  to  a  fuU  stop,  and  a 
boat  full  of  soldiers  put  off*  to  board  them.  Hope 
again  died  away  in  the  heart  of  the  adventurous  trav- 
eller, at  that  dreaded  sight ;  but  he  would  not  yet 
despair.  The  boat  drew  near,  and  the  fisherman, 
poor  and  needy,  had  now  an  opportunity  of  enriching 
himself,  by  denouncing  his  passenger.     But  the  old 


ADVENTURES  OF  SIR  COLQUHOUN  GRANT.    209 

man  was  trae  to  his  trust.  He  assured  the  soldiers 
that  Grant  was  his  son ;  and,  convinced  of  this,  they 
only  warned  him  not  to  go  out  of  the  reach  of  the 
guns  of  the  battery,  because  the  English  vessel  was 
on  the  coast.  But  the  fisherman,  having  given  all 
the  fish  he  had  caught  to  the  soldiers,  told  them  if  he 
did  not,  his  poor  family  would  starve, —  that  this  was 
their  only  dependence, —  and  assured  them  that  he 
was  so  well  acquainted  with  the  coast  that  he  could 
always  escape  the  enemy.  His  prayers  and  presents 
prevailed,  and  he  was  desired  to  wait  under  the  bat- 
tery tiU  night,  and  then  depart ;  but,  under  pretence 
of  arranging  his  escape  from  the  English  vessel,  he 
made  the  soldiers  point  out  her  bearings  so  exactly, 
that  when  the  darkness  came,  he  lost  not  a  moment 
"in  proceeding  on  board,  and  the  intrepid  Grant  soon 
found  himself  once  more  in  safety  on  her  quarter- 
deck. The  vessel  soon  sailed  for  England,  and 
Grant  was  received  in  London  with  aU  the  popularity 
which  his  arduous  services  demanded,  and  might  now 
have  obtained  an  honorable  release  from  the  toilsome 
service  in  which  he  had  been  engaged  ;  but  he  was 
a  true  soldier  at  heart,  and  loved  the  toil  and  bustle 
of  the  camp,  with  all  its  hardships,  far  better  than 
the  ease  and  comfort  of  courts.  He  asked  but  one 
favor  of  his  royal  master,  and  this  was  to  select  a 
French  ofl&cer,  of  equal  rank,  who  should  be  sent 
back  to  his  own  country,  that  no  doubt  might  remain 
of  the  propriety  of  his  escape.  This  he  received 
permission  to  do  ;  and  he  visited  one  of  the  prisons, 


210      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

where  the  French  were  detained,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  his  selection.  Judge  what  must  have  been 
his  astonishment,  when  the  first  person  he  saw  was 
the  old  fisherman  who  had  so  befriended  him  in  his 
trouble  !  The  recognition  was  mutual ;  and  the  old 
man,  whose  heart  longed  for  the  old  familiar  haunts 
of  his  childhood,  out  of  sight  of  which  he  had  never 
been  before,  felt  once  more  the  dawn'of  hope  in  his 
bosom,  as  he  saw  that  face,  so  full  of  benevolence  and 
kindness,  bent  on  him  in  pitying  sorrow.  His  story 
was  soon  told.  He  and  his  son,  venturing  on  the 
pass  which  Grant  had  given  him  in  return  for  his 
kindness,  had  ventured  out  to  sea  in  too  near  prox- 
imity to  an  Enghsh  vessel.  The  captain,  totally 
unmindful  of  their  papers,  had  sunk  their  little  boat, 
their  only  property,  and  brought  them  away  to  in- 
habit an  English  prison,  while  his  poor  family  was 
starving  at  home.  The  indignant  Grant  could  scarcely 
listen  to  the  conclusion  of  the  tale.  He  immediately 
obtained  their  release,  made  them  a  present  of  a  sum 
of  money  and  a  new  boat,  and  saw  them  once  more 
embarked  for  France,  blessing  the  happy  hour  when 
they  had  shown  such  kindness  to  one  so  richly  deserv- 
ing of  it.  He  then  returned  himself  to  the  Penin- 
sula, and,  within  four  months  from  the  time  of  his 
capture,  he  was  again  on  the  Tormes,  watching  the 
army  of  Marmont,  and  only  mourning  that  poor  Leon 
was  no  longer  alive  to  accompany  him. 

Hoping  that  my  readers  will  be  interested  in  this 
long  digression,  I  will  return  at  once  to  my  own  story. 


THE   PASS    OF    RONCESVALLES.  211 

Before  the  victorious  army  of  the  allies  left  Bada- 
jos,  Wellington  determined  to  send  a  convoy  to 
Brussels  with  the  treasure  and  spoils  found  in  that 
place.  The  regiments  selected  to  form  this  convoy 
were  the  28th,  the  80th,  and  87th  and  43d.  We 
were  to  leave  Badajos,  and  pass  through  the  north- 
em  part  of  Spain  to  Pampeluna,  and  through  the 
romantic  gorge  of  the  Roncesvalles  to  St.  Jean  Pied 
de  Port,  in  France,  and  from  this  place  take  the 
most  direct  course  to  Brussels.  The  day  before  our 
army  was  to  leave  for  Beira  was  the  day  selected 
for  our  march.  Our  farewell  words  were  soon  spoken, 
and  we  were  on  our  way.  No  event  of  consequence 
had  marked  our  course  until  we  were  near  Pampe- 
luna. On  the  left  of  this  place,  near  Roncesvalles, 
is  the  beautiful  valley  of  Bastan,  one  of  the  most 
fertile  and  delightful  valleys  in  Spain,  and  abounding 
in  every  species  of  plenty.  From  Pampeluna  to 
Zabieta,  the  road  passes  over  a  gentle  ascent.  From 
Zabieta  this  ascent  increases,  and  becomes  extremely 
rough  and  fatiguing  near  the  village  of  Borquette. 
From  this  village  it  begins  to  ascend  very  lofty 
mountains,  but  which  are  extremely  fertile  and  well 
wooded.  Immediately  after  passing  Borquette,  the 
road  ascends  a  mountain,  and  then  descends  the 
same,  when  it  enters  upon  the  memorable  plain  of 
Roncesvalles,  where  happened  that  memorable  defeat 
of  Charlemagne,  which  has  furnished  so  copious  a 
theme  for  poetry  and  romance.  As  there  are  few 
who  have  not  heard  of  this  celebrated  pass,  perhaps 


212      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

the  legend' connected  with  it  may  not  be  uninterest- 
ing to  my  readers. 

Several  Moorish  chiefs,  in  the  north-western  part 
of  Spain,  had  implored  the  protection  of  this  cele- 
brated emperor,  and  invited  him  to  accept  their 
vassalage.  He  at  once  assembled  an  army,  crossed 
the  Pyrenees,  penetrated  as  far  as  Saragossa,  and 
received  the  submission  of  all  the  neighboring  lords. 
News  of  threatened  hostilities  on  the  Rhenish  fron- 
tiers caused  him  to  hasten  his  march  onward.  Di- 
viding his  army  into  two  bodies,  he  advanced,  in 
person,  at  the  head  of  the  first  division,  leaving  all 
the  baggage  with  the  rear  guard,  which  comprised  a 
strong  force,  and  was  commanded  by  some  of  the 
most  renowned  of  his  chieftains,  among  whom  was 
Roland,  the  nephew  of  Charlemagne.  Mounted  on 
heavy  horses,  and  loaded  with  a  complete  armor  of 
iron,  the  soldiers  pursued  their  march  through  the 
narrow  passes  of  the  Pyrenees,  without  suspecting 
the  neighborhood  of  an  enemy.  The  king  himself, 
with  his  first  division,  passed  from  these  intricate 
woods  and  narrow  defiles  unmolested ;  but  when  the 
rear  body,  following  leisurely  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, had  reached  this  wild  and  lonely  valley,  the 
woods  and  rocks  around  them  suddenly  bristled  into 
life,  and  they  were  attacked  on  all  sides  by  the  per- 
fidious Gascons,  whose  Ught  arms,  swift  arrpws,  and 
knowledge  of  the  country,  gave  them  every  advan- 
tage over  their  opponents.  In  the  first  panic  and 
confusion,  the  Franks  were  driven  down  to  the  bottom 


THE   PASS   OF   RONCESVALLES.  213 

of  the  pass,  embarrassed  by  their  arms  and  baggage. 
The  Gascons  pressed  them  on  every  point,  and 
slaughtered  them  like  a  herd  of  deer,  singling  them 
out  with  their  arrows  from  above,  and  rolling  down 
the  rocks  upon  their  heads.  Never  wanting  in  cour- 
age, they  fought  until  the  last  moment,  and  died 
unconquered.  Roland  and  his  companions,  the  twelve 
peers  of  France,  after  innumerable  deeds  of  valor, 
were  slain  with  the  rest ;  and  the  Gascons,  satiated 
with  carnage,  and  rich  in  plunder,  dispersed  among 
the  mountains,  leaving  Charlemagne  to  seek  fruit- 
lessly for  vengeance. 

During  the  lapse  of  many  centuries,  tradition  has 
hung  about  this  famous  spot,  and  the  memory  of 
Roland  and  his  companions  has  been  consecrated  in 
a  thousand  shapes  throughout  the  country.  Wlien 
we  entered  this  famous  pass,  we  could  but  recall  the 
legends  connected  with  it.  The  mountains  rose  high 
and  towering  to  the  skies  on  either  side.  Far  up 
their  rocky  sides  we  could  see  mountain  paths  de- 
scending, while  here  and  there  a  shelf  would  exist 
that  might  give  a  standing-place  to  a  body  of  men. 
Huge  crags  seemed  to  bid  defiance  even  to  the  fleet 
steps  of  the  mountain  goat,  while  deep  caverns 
opened  their  mouths  on  every  side,  giving  shelter  to 
the  hordes  of  banditti  which  always  infest  those 
regions.  The  stroke  of  Roland's  sword  upon  the 
rocks  was  pointed  out  to  us  by  our  guides;  while, 
just  beneath,  we  noticed  patches  of  the  beautiful 
little  wild-flower  of  the  Pyrenees,  which  is  called  the 


214     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'NEIL. 

casque  of  Roland.  I  know  of  no  fitter  place  for  the 
assault  which  took  place  here ;  certainly  none  which 
could  give  the  assailants  a  better  advantage.  But, 
ominous  as  the  scenery  appeared,  we  crossed  this 
famous  pass  in  safety,  and  emerged,  with  gladdened 
and  lightened  hearts,  on  the  plain  beyond,  where 
rises  the  beautiful  and  venerable  abbey  of  Ronces- 
valles,  whose  moss-clad  walls,  which  have  felt  so 
heavily,  and  yet  sustained  so  well,  the  hand  of  time, 
are  covered  with  mementos  of  its  famous  hero.  On 
the  further  side  of  this  plain,  the  road,  after  passing 
over  a  small  elevation,  reaches,  the  foot  of  that  tre- 
mendous mountain,  called  Mount  Altobiscar,  which 
separates  France  from  Spain,  The  ascent  to  this  is 
very  steep  and  laborious,  and  almost  impassable  for 
carriages.  A  ravine  descends  from  this  into  French 
Navarre.  Our  party  were  leisurely  descending  into 
this  ravine,  hardly  anticipating  danger,  when  sud- 
denly our  advance  guards  were  stopped  by  the  report 
of  a  musket.  The  alarm  was  in  a  moment  given, 
and  our  arms  prepared.  On  the  huge  rocks  which 
rose  above  us  a  body  of  men  were  seen  descending, 
and  in  a  moment  they  were  upon  us,  preceding  their 
anival  by  rolling  huge  stones  down  from  the  moun- 
tain, which  killed  a  number  of  our  men.  In  a  mo- 
ment we  had  formed  ourselves,  as  far  as  the  position 
of  the  ground  would  admit,  into  two  squares  ;  and, 
as  they  drew  near,  we  discharged  our  muskets  into 
the  midst.  Nearly  all  the  foremost  fell ;  but  their 
places  were  soon  supplied  by  others,  who  came  on 


ARRIVAL  AT   BRUSSELS.  215 

with  still  more  force.  Their  subtle  chief  was  very 
active  in  the  affray.  Fortunately,  we  had  gained  a 
part  of  the  ground  where  there  was  a  wide  shelf, 
which  enabled  us  to  meet  the  attack  more  in  a  body, 
while  the  road  to  it  was  narrow,  and  the  ground 
rough.  Consequently,  they  fell  fast  before  our  fire. 
A  few  minutes  only  the  combat  lasted,  and  yet,  on 
our  own  side,  a  hundred  men  had  fallen.  Fifty  were 
killed  outright ;  and  in  several  places  men  and  horse 
had  died  simultaneously,  and  so  suddenly,  that,  fall- 
ing together  on  their  sides,  they  appeared  still  alive, 
—  the  horse's  legs  stretched  out  as  in  movement,  the 
rider's  feet  in  the  stirrups,  his  bridle  in  hand,  the 
sword  raised  to  strike,  and  the  expression  of  the 
countenance  undistorted,  but  with  such  a  look  of 
resolution  and  defiance  as  gave  to  it  a  ghastly  and 
supernatural  appearance.  The  loss  of  the  assailants 
was  still  greater  than  ours.  Seeing  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  attain  their  object,  which  was,  doubt- 
less, to  possess  themselves  of  our  baggage,  they 
retired  in  good  order;  and,  as  we  considered  our 
charge  too  valuable  to  be  left  in  such  a  spot,  we  did 
not  attempt  to  pursue  them. 

No  other  incident  of  interest  occurred  in  our  route, 
and  we  found  ourselves,  on  the  3d  of  June,  in  safety 
in  Brussels.  The  next  day  we  reported  our  arrival 
to  the  commanders  there ;  and,  on  the  5th,  our  charge 
was  delivered  up,  and  we  were  inspected,  and  then 
ordered  to  join  the  garrison  which  was  stationed  in 
Brassels.  Here  I  remained,  only  performing  gar- 
19 


216      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   0*NEIL. 

rison  duty,  until  that  great  battle  which  decided 
the  fate  of  Europe,  and  sent  the  French  emperor  to 
his  last  and  lonely  home  on  the  barren  rock  of  St. 
Helena. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

Brief  Summary  of  Events  for  Four  Years  preceding  the  Battle  of  Waterloo. 
—  Author's  Narrative  resumed  at  that  Period.  —  Preparation  of  Troops 
for  the  Battle.  —  Skirmishing  preceding  its  Commencement.  —  Recep- 
tion of  the  News  at  Brussels.  —  Departure  of  the  English  for  the  Field 
of  Battle.  —  Disposition  of  the  Forces.  —  Attack  upon  Hougomont.  — 
Progress  of  the  Battle.  —  Arrival  of  the  Prussian  Reinforcements.  — 
Charge  of  the  Old  Guard.  —  Flight  of  the  French. —  The  Author 
wounded,  and  left  upon  the  Field.  —  Rescued  by  a  Camp-follower.  — 
Carried  to  the  Hospital,  and  thence  taken  to  England.  — He  quits  the 
Service,  and  emigrates  to  America.  —  Conclusion. 

These  four  years  thus  spent  to  me  were  days  of 
quiet,  unmarked  by  aught  that  would  interest  my 
readers  ;  but  four  years  more  eventful,  more  fraught 
with  heavy  consequences  of  good  or  ill  to  Europe, 
have  seldom — perhaps  never — been  numbered  in  her 
eventful  history.  The  victorious  banners  of  France 
were  waving  on  every  battle-field  on  the  continent. 
Wagram  and  Jena,  AusterHtz  and  Friedland,  echoed 
back  the  glory  of  the  conqueror's  name  ;  and  kings 
and  emperors,  in  whose  veins  flowed  the  blood  of  the 
Caesars,  had  esteemed  it  an  honor  to  claim  alliance 
with  the  plebeian  child  of  Corsica.  But  the  Russian 
bear  and*  the  English  lion  had  not  yet  yielded  to  his 
claims ;  and,  gathering  his  vast  and  victorious  armies, 
he  led  them  to  face  a  sterner  enemy  and  a  more 
subtle  foe  than  they  had  ever  yet  contested.  Half 
a  miUion  of  men,  firm  and  confident  in  their  own 
resources,  had  crossed  the  Niemen  under  Bonaparte's 
approving  eye.  A  few  months  later,  and  the  rem- 
nant of  that  scattered  army,  in  rags,  wan  and  ghastly, 


218     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP   CHARLES   0*NEIL. 

staggered,  like  a  band  of  spectres,  over  that  same 
river.  No  human  might  had  struck  them  down ;  but 
the  ice  of  winter  and  the  deep  snows  of  the  north, 
which  the  fur-clad  Russian  glories  in,  had  been  the 
signal  of  death  to  the  light-hearted  child  of  vine-clad 
France.  He  who  had  left  France  at  the  head  of 
such  glorious  armies  had  returned  to  his  capital 
alone  with  his  own  brave  heart  and  iron  courage,  to 
find  there  that  the  arms  and  gold  of  the  allies  had 
done  their  work. 

From  Spain,  the  French  had  retreated  step  by 
step.  Ferdinand,  soiled,  even  in  his  youth,  with 
flagrant  crimes,  had  returned  amid  rejoicings  and 
banquets  to  his  capital,  to  sink  still  deeper  in  shame 
and  contempt  the  Bourbon  name,  and  to  reward  with 
dungeons  and  tears  and  blood  the  brave  hearts  that 
had  struggled  so  long  and  nobly  for  his  kingdom. 
Joseph  had  fled  before  him  on  foot,  scarcely  escaping 
with  his  life  from  that  kingdom,  which  might,  indeed, 
have  taken  a  glorious  place  among  the  nations,  had 
he  had  the  courage  or  ability  to  carry  out,  in  the 
spirit  that  dictated  them,  the  great  and  far-seeing 
plans  of  his  brother.  On  every  side  the  nations 
turned  their  arms  against  the  falling  emperor,  until, 
at  length,  he  who  had  disposed  in  his  palace  of  the 
thrones  of  Europe  had  only  left  one  small  island, 
which  must  have  seemed  to  him  but  a  child's  bauble, 
in  view  of  the  past.  He  would  not  rest  here,  and 
the  events  of  the  hundred  days  had  roused  again  the 
world  to  arms.     The  prestige  of  his  name  had  won 


Bonaparte's  address  before  Waterloo.     219 

back  the  allegiance  of  the  French,  and  thousands 
had,  as  in  days  of  yore,  collected  around  his  stand- 
ard. The  battle  which  should  decide  the  fate  of 
Europe  drew  on.  France  stood  alone,  on  the  one 
side,  with  her  veteran  troops,  and  her  memories  of 
glorious  victories,  and,  more  than  all,  her  emperor ; 
and  on  the  other  were  the  united  forces  of  England 
and  the  continent.  Napoleon  was  confident  of  vic- 
tory. On  the  14th  of  June,  in  his  own  resistless 
eloquence,  he  thus  addressed  his  army,  the  last  he  was 
ever  destined  to  command  :  —  "  Soldiers,  this  day  is 
the  anniversary  of  Marengo  and  Friedland,  which 
twice  decided  the  destiny  of  Europe.  Then,  as  after 
the  battle  of  Austerlitz,  as  after  the  battle  of  Wa- 
gram,  we  were  too  generous.  We  believed  in  the 
oaths  and  protestations  of  princes,  whom  we  left  on 
their  thrones.  Now,  however,  leagued  together,  they 
aim  at  the  independence  and  the  most  sacred  rights 
of  France.  They  have  committed  the  most  unjust 
aggressions.  Let  us,  then,  march  and  meet  them. 
Are  not  we  and  they  still  the  same  men  ?  Soldiers, 
at  Jena,  against  these  same  Prussians,  now  so  arro- 
gant, you  were  one  to  three ;  and  at  Montmirail,  one 
to  six.  Let  those  among  you  who  have  been  cap- 
tives to  the  English  describe  the  nature  of  their 
prison-ships,  and  the  horrible  sufferings  they  endured. 
The  Saxons,  the  Belgians,  the  Hanoverians,  the 
soldiers  of  the  Confederation  of  the  Rhine,  lament 
that  they  are  obliged  to  use  their  arms  in  the  cause 
of  princes  who  are  the  enemies  of  justice  and  the 
19* 


220     MILITARY    ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

rights  of  all  nations.  They  know  that  this  coalition  is 
insatiable.  After  having  devoured  twelve  millions  of 
Poles,  twelve  millions  of  Italians,  one  million  of  Sax- 
ons, and  six  millions  of  Belgians,  it  now  wishes  to 
devour  the  states  of  the  second  rank  in  Germany. 

"Madmen!  a  moment  of  prosperity  has  bewil- 
dered them  !  The  oppression  and  humiliation  of  the 
French  people  are  beyond  their  reach  ;  if  they  enter 
France,  they  will  j&nd  their  tomb  there !  Soldiers, 
we  have  forced  marches  to  make,  battles  to  fight, 
and  dangers  to  encounter;  but,  if  we  are  firm,  victory 
will  be  ours.  The  rights,  the  honor,  the  happiness 
of  the  country,  will  be  recovered.  To  every  French- 
man who  has  a  heart,  the  moment  is  now  arrived 
when  he  should  either  conquer  or  die." 

The  plan  which  Napoleon  had  laid  down  was,  by  a 
rapid  advance,  to  force  his  way  between  the  armies 
of  Wellington  and  Blucher  combined,  — to  attack  one 
with  the  mass  of  his  forces,  while  he  detached  troops 
to  keep  the  other  in  check.  Let  us  now  turn  our 
attention  to  the  allies. 

They  had  combined  their  whole  strength  at  and 
near  Brussels.  The  army  of  Blucher,  at  this  time, 
numbered  about  one  hundred  thousand  men.  These 
occupied  Charleroi,  Namur,  Givet  and  Liege.  The 
headquarters  of  the  Anglo-Belgian  ai-niy,  under 
Wellington,  were  at  Bmssels.  Tliis  army  numbered 
seventy-six  thousand  men ;  but  thirty-five  thousand 
of  these,  however,  were  English,  the  flower  of  the 
Peninsular  army  having  been  sent  to  America.     The 


SKIRMISHES    BEFORE   THE  BATTLE.  221 

remainder  were  Hanoverians,  Dutch  and  Belgians. 
The  right  of  the  Prussian  army  communicated  with 
the  left  of  the  English  ;  their  commanders  having  so 
an'anged  their  troops,  that  wherever  the  attack  of  the 
French  should  be  made,  they  might  support  each 
other.  They  could  not  doubt  that  Napoleon's  mark 
was  Brussels,  but  as  yet  it  had  been  impossible  for 
them  to  learn  by  which  of  the  four  great  routes  he  in- 
tended to  force  his  passage.  Several  prisoners  had 
been  taken,  but  these  either  could  not  or  would  not 
communicate  the  intelligence  our  commander  was  so 
desirous  to  obtain.  On  the  morning  of  the  15th, 
however,  the  movements  of  the  French  unfolded 
their  designs.  Their  second  corps  crossed  the  Sam- 
bre,  and  drove  in  Zeither's  out-posts,  who  fell  back 
on  Fleurus  to  concentrate  with  the  Prussian  corps. 
They  were  hastily  followed  by  the  French  army. 
The  emperor's  purpose  was  then  to  crush  Blucher, 
before  he  could  concentrate  his  own  forces,  much  less 
be  assisted  by  the  troops  under  Wellington.  Imme- 
diately Zeither,  who  had  the  command  at  Charleroi, 
sent  out  despatches  to  all  the  commanders  of 
Blucher's  army,  summoning  them  to  his  aid.  Then 
gallantly  marshalling  the  men  who  were  under  his 
command,  they  held  their  ground  bravely,  though 
with  great  loss,  until,  finding  it  impossible  longer  to 
withstand,  they  fell  back  in  good  order,  on  a  position 
betweei  Ligny  and  Armand,  where  Blucher  now 
awaited  Napoleon's  attack,  at  the  head  of  his  whole 
army.     Though  the   emperor's  plan  of  beating  the 


222     MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

Prussian  army  in  detail  had  failed,  he  might  still 
prevent  the  conjunction  of  his  forces  jvith  Welling- 
ton's. He  continued  his  march,  therefore,  on  the 
main  road  to  Brussels  from  Charleroi.  At  Frasnes, 
some  Nassau  troops  had  been  stationed.  These 
were,  however,  obliged  to  retire  before  the  French, 
who  followed  them  as  far  as  Quatre  Bras,  or  four 
arms, — a  farm,  so  called  because  the  roads  from  Char- 
leroi to  Brussels,  and  from  Namur  to  Nivelles,  here 
cross  each  other.  Here  the  French  halted  for  the 
night. 

Lord  Wellington,  as  I  have  said,  held  his  head- 
quarters at  Brussels.  Not  a  rumor  of  Napoleon's 
onward  movement  had,  as  yet,  reached  him.  That 
gay  city  presented  many  attractions  to  our  gallant 
officers,  and  festivals  and  parties  had  followed  each 
other  in  quick  succession.  On  that  very  night  the 
Duchess  of  Richmond  gave  a  splendid  ball,  and  it 
was  as  gayly  attended  by  the  British  officers  as  if  the 
French  had  been  on  the  Seine,  instead  of  the  Sum- 
bre.  Wellington  himself  was  there.  Sir  Thomas 
Picton,  too,  our  own  brave  commander  in  the  Penin- 
sular campaign,  who  had  but  that  day  arrived  from 
England,  also  met  his  brother  officers  in  this  festal 
scene.  The  festivities  were  at  their  height,  when 
an  officer  in  splashed  and  spattered  uniform  pre- 
sented himself  at  the  door,  and  asking  for  the  duke, 
communicated  to  him  the  startling  intelligence.  For 
some  moments  the  iron  duke  remained  in  deep  reflec- 
tion, his  countenance  showing  a  resolution  already 


BRUSSELS  ON  THE  EVE  OF  THE  BATTLE.    225 

taken.  Then,  in  a  low  and  steady  voice,  he  gave  a 
few  directions  to  a  staiF-officer,  and  again  mingled 
in  the  festivities  of  the  hour.  But,  before  the  baU 
was  ended,  the  strains  of  courtly  music  were  drowned 
in  the  louder  notes  of  preparation.  The  drum  had 
beat  to  arms,  and  the  bugle  summoned  the  assembly, 
while  the  Highland  bagpipe  added  its  wild  and 
martial  call  to  the  field.  All  were  soon  prepared 
and  under  arms,  and  the  fifth  division  filed  from  the 
park  with  the  Brunswick  corps,  and  directed  their 
course  to  the  forest  of  Soignes. 

Three  o'clock  pealed  from  the  steeple-bells.  All 
was  now  quiet;  the  brigades,  with  their  artillery  and 
equipage,  were  gone,  the  crash  of  music  was  heard 
no  longer,  the  bustle  of  preparation  had  ceased, 
and  an  ominous  and  heart-sinking  silence  succeeded 
the  noise  and  hurry  ever  attendant  on  a  departure 
for  the  field  of  battle. 

These  incidents  have  been  so  beautifully  described 
by  Byron,  that  we  cannot  resist  the  temptation  to 
quote  the  passage  : 

• 

"  There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night, 
And  Belgium's  capital  had  gathered  then. 
Her  beauty  and  her  chivalry,  and  bright 
The  lamps  shone  o'er  fair  women  and  brave  men. 
A  thousand  hearts  beat  happily;  and  when 
Music  firose  with  its  voluptuous  swell, 
Soft  eyes  looked  love  to  eyes  which  spake  again. 
And  all  went  merry  as  a  marriage  bell. 
But  hush  !  hark  !  a  deep  sound  strikes  like  a  rising  knell. 

"  Did  you  not  hear  it  ?     No  !  'twas  but  the  wind. 
Or  the  car  rattling  o'er  the  stony  street; 


226      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES   O'nEIL. 

On  "vrith  the  dance  !  let  joy  be  unconfined  ! 

No  sleep  till  morn,  when  youth  and  pleasure  meet. 

To  chase  the  glowing  hours  with  flying  feet ! 

But  hark  !  that  heavy  sound  breaks  in  once  more,  — 

As  if  the  clouds  its  echo  would  repeat, — 

And  nearer,  clearer,  deadlier  than  before. 

Arm  !  arm  !  it  is,  it  is  the  cannon's  opening  roar  ! 

"  Ah  !  then,  and  there  was  hurrying  to  and  fro. 
And  gathering  tears,  and  tremblings  of  distress. 
And  cheeks  all  pale,  which,  but  an  hour  ago. 
Blushed  at  the  praise  of  their  own  loveliness. 
And  there  were  sudden  partings,  such  as  press 
The  life  from  out  young  hearts,  and  choking  sighs. 
Which  ne'er  might  be  repeated  ;  —  who  could  guess 
If  evermore  should  meet  those  mutual  eyes, 
Since  upon  night  so  sweet  such  awful  morn  could  rise  1 " 

By  two  o'clock  the  Duke  of  Wellington  had  left 
Brussels,  and  before  light  he  reached  Bry,  at  which 
place  Blucher  was  stopping,  and  there  the  plan  of 
the  day  was  agreed  upon.  Napoleon  resolved,  with 
his  own  troops,  to  attack  the  Prussian  army, 
because  that  had  concentrated  aU  its  strength,  while 
forty-five  thousand  men,  under  Ney,  were  to  give 
battle  to  the  English.  At  early  dawn,  on  the  16th, 
hostilities  were  renewed.  The  morning,  however, 
was  occupied  in  slight  skirmishes,  in  which  the 
soldiers  in  both  armies  showed  their  bravery.  The 
main  contest  between  the  English  and  the  French 
commenced  about  three  in  the  afternoon.  The 
French  were  drawn  up  among  growing  corn,  so  high 
as  nearly  to  conceal  them  from  sight.  The  seventy- 
ninth  and  forty-second  regiments  were  thus  taken  by 
surprise,  and  nearly  destroyed.  Out  of  eight  hundred 
men,    but    ninety-six    privates    and    four    ofl&cers 


THE   NIGHT   BEFORE   THE   BATTLE.  227 

escaped.  At  night  the  English  general  had  posses- 
sion of  Quatre  Bras.  The  number  of  killed  and 
wounded  on  the  side  of  the  allies  was  five  thousand. 
Blucher  fought  as  stern  a  battle,  but  with  less  suc- 
cess. He  had  eighty  thousand  men,  while  Napoleon 
was  opposed  to  him  with  ninety  thousand.  The 
French  and  Prussians  felt  for  each  other  a  mortal 
hatred,  and  little  quarter  was  either  asked  or  given. 
When  the  night  of  the  16th  closed  around  them, 
thirty-five  thousand  men  were  left  on  the  field  of 
battle, — twenty  thousand  of  the  Prussians,  and  fifteen 
thousand  French.  Blucher  had  been  forced  to  retire 
in  the  direction  of  Wavre,  and  so  skilfully  were  his 
movements  made  that  it  was  noon  on  the  17th  before 
Napoleon  discovered  his  retreat.  As  soon  as  Wel- 
lington learned  that  Blucher  had  retreated,  he  gave 
orders  to  fall  back  from  Quatre  Bras  to  the  field  of 
Waterloo.  A  heavy  rain  had  fallen  all  day,  and 
made  the  roads  almost  impassable  with  mud.  The 
English  soldiers  were  wearied  with  their  day's  labor, 
and  discouraged  by  the  command  to  retreat;  but 
their  spirits  revived  when,  on  reaching  their  bivouac 
for  the  night,  they  were  informed  that  the  battle 
should  be  given  on  the  next  day.  We  found  little 
comfort,  however,  in  our  night's  position ;  for,  as  the 
darkness  closed  in,  the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  was 
accompanied  by  heavy  thunder. 

The  soldiers  themselves,  although  no  temptation 
would  have  been  strong  enough  to  have  induced  them 
to  turn  away  from  the  morrow's  battle,  still  could  not 
20 


228      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OF    CHARLES    O'nEIL. 

but  feel  the  solemnity  of  the  hour.  Thousands  of 
those  who  had  bivouacked  with  them  the  preceding 
night,  in  health  and  spirits,  were  now  cold  and  life- 
less on  the  field  of  battle.  The  morrow's  action  could 
not  be  less  severe,  and  in  such  an  hour  it  was  not  in 
human  nature  to  be  entirely  unmindful  of  home  and 
friends,  whom  it  was  more  than  probable  we  should 
never  see  again.  For  my  own  part,  my  thoughts 
reverted  to  my  dear  parents,  and  I  could  not  but 
remember  that,  had  I  not  disregarded  their  wishes,  I 
should  now  have  been  in  safety  with  them.  My 
disobedience  appeared  to  me  in  a  very  different  light 
from  what  it  had  formerly  done ;  but  I  resolved  to 
conceal  my  feelings  from  every  one.  I  was  just 
endeavoring  to  compose  myself  to  sleep,  when  my 
comrade  spoke  to  me,  saying  that  it  was  deeply  im- 
pressed on  his  mind  that  he  should  not  survive  the 
morrow ;  and  that  he  wished  to  make  an  arrangement 
with  me,  that  if  he  should  die  and  I  should  survive,  I 
should  inform  his  friends  of  the  circumstances  of  his 
death,  and  that  he  would  do  the  same  for  me,  in  case 
he  should  be  the  survivor.  We  then  exchanged  the 
last  letters  we  had  received  from  home,  so  that  each 
should  have  the  address  of  the  other's  parents.  I 
endeavored  to  conceal  my  own  feelings,  and  cheer 
his,  by  reminding  him  that  it  was  far  better  to  die 
on  the  field  of  glory  than  from  fear ;  but  he  turned 
away  from  me,  and,  with  a  burst  of  tears,  that  spoke 
the  deep  feelings  of  his  heart,  he  said,  "My  mother!'* 
The  familiar  sound  of  this  precious  name,  and  the 


ORDER   OF    BATTLE.  229 

sight  of  his  sorrow,  completely  overcame  my  attempts 
at  concealment,  and  we  wept  together.  Perhaps  I 
may  as  well  mention  here,  that  we  had  not  been  in 
the  action  twenty-five  minutes  when  he  was  shot 
down  by  my  side.  After  my  return  to  England,  I 
visited  Ms  parents,  and  informed  them  of  the  circum- 
stances of  his  death ;  and  I  can  assure  my  readers 
that  it  was  a  painful  task.  We  were  not  alone  in 
our  sad  feelings.  The  fierce  contest  of  the  elements, 
the  discomforts  of  our  position,  and  the  deep  gloom 
which  covered  every  object,  all  served  to  deepen  in 
every  heart  those  feelings  which,  I  venture  to  say, 
even  the  bravest  will  experience  in  the  stillness  and 
silence  of  a  night  preceding  a  battle. 

With  the  early  dawn  of  morning  all  the  troops 
were  in  motion.  Wellington  was  to  commence  the 
action,  while  Blucher,  with  all  his  army,  with  the 
exception  of  a  single  corps  left  to  contend  with  Mar- 
shal Grouchy,  marched  to  support  him. 

Our  troops  were  drawn  up  before  the  village  of 
Mont  St.  Jean,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the 
small  town  of  Waterloo,  on  a  rising  ground,  which 
descended,  by  a  gentle  declivity,  to  a  plain  a  mile  in 
breadth,  beyond  which  rose  the  opposite  heights  of 
La  Belle  Alliance.  The  first  line  was  composed  of 
those  troops  on  whose  discipline  and  spirit  the  duke 
could  most  rely.  These  were  the  British,  three  corps 
of  Hanoverians  and  Belgians,  and  the  men  of  Bruns- 
wick and  Nassau.  The  second  line  consisted  of 
those  whose  courage  and  bravery  were  more  doubt- 


230      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    o'nEIL. 

fill,  and  those  regiments  that  had  suffered  most 
severely  the  preceding  day.  Behind  both  of  these 
lay  the  horse.  Four  roads  crossed  each  other  in  this 
position,  affording  great  facilities  for  the  movements 
of  the  armies.  It  included,  also,  the  chateau  and 
houses  of  Hougomont,  and  the  farm-house  and  en- 
closures of  La  Haye  Sainte,  which  were  very  strongly 
occupied,  and  formed  important  outworks  of  defence. 
The  whole  front  of  the  British  army  extended,  in  all, 
about  a  mile. 

The  army  of  the  French,  meanwhile,  had  been 
marching  all  night,  and  many  of  them  did  not  reach 
the  heights  of  La  BeUe  Alliance  until  late  on  the 
morning  of  the  18th.  Napoleon  had  feared  that  the 
English  would  continue  their  retreat  to  Brussels. 
It  was,  therefore,  with  much  pleasure  that  he  saw 
them  drawn  up  on  the  opposite  heights.  "At  last, 
then,"  said  he,  "  at  last  I  have  these  English  in  my 
grasp."  Eighty  thousand  French  soldiers  were  seen 
moving,  in  close  massive  columns,  on  the  crest  of  the 
height,  as  they  took  up  their  several  positions  for  the 
day.  When  all  was  arranged,  Bonaparte  rode  along 
the  lines,  reviewing  his  troops ;  and  when  he  had  jfin- 
ished,  and  turned  to  ride  away,  a  loud  shout  ■  of 
"Vive  I'Empereur"  rolled  after  him,  which  shook 
the  field  on  which  they  stood.  He  then  ascended  an 
observatory,  a  little  in  the  rear,  where  he  could  over- 
look both  lines,  and  from  this  point  directed  the 
battle.  It  was  an  eventful  hour  in  the  history  of 
this  great  man ;  and  he  felt,  as  did  also  his  troops, 


ATTACK   AT  HOUGOMONT.  231 

how  much  depended  on  the  issue  of  the  day.  Vic- 
tory alone  would  give  the  courage  necessary  to  send 
out  reinforcements  from  a  country  where  scarcely 
any  were  left  but  old  men  and  youth.  Defeat  would 
be  decisive  of  the  emperor's  fate.  These  thoughts 
nerved  the  hearts  of  the  French,  and  they  fought 
with  unexampled  impetuosity. 

About  ten  o'clock  the  action  was  commenced,  by 
an  attack  upon  the  gardens  and  wood  of  Hougomont. 
They  were  particularly  anxious  to  gain  this  post,  as 
it  commanded  a  large  part  of  the  British  position. 
It  was  furiously  and  incessantly  assailed  by  the 
French,  and  as  gallantly  defended  by  the  English, 
under  General  Byng.  The  French  pushed  up  to  the 
very  walls  of  the  chateau,  and  thrust  their  bayonets 
through  the  door;  but  the  Coldstream  Guards  held 
the  conrt-yard  with  invincible  obstinacy,  and  the 
enemy  were  at  length  compelled  to  retire,  leaving 
fourteen  hundred  men  in  a  little  orchard,  beside  the 
walls,  where  it  does  not  seem  so  many  could  be  laid. 
Every  ti'ee  in  the  wood  was  pierced  with  balls,  their 
branches  broken  and  destroyed,  and  the  chateau 
itself  set  on  fire  by  the  shells.  Travellers  inform  us 
that  the  strokes  which  proved  so  fatal  to  human  life 
havfe  not  affected  the  trees;  for,  though  the  holes 
still  remain,  their  verdure  is  as  beautiful  as  ever. 
Beneath  those  trees,  and  in  the  forsaken  garden, 
flowers  continue  to  bloom.  The  rose-trees  and  the 
vines,  crushed  and  torn  in  the  struggle,  have  flowered 
in  new  beauty,  and  offer  a  strong  contrast  to  the 
20* 


232      MILITAEY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    O'NEIL. 

piles  of  bones,  broken  swords,  and  shattered  helmets, 
that  lay  scattered  among  them. 

When  Napoleon  saw  that  he  had  failed  in  taking 
Hougomont,  he  strengthened  his  attack  upon  the 
main  lines.  Most  of  the  .British  had  been  drawn  up 
in  squares,  not  quite  solid,  but  several  files  deep,  and 
arranged  like  the  squares  on  a  chess-board ;  so  that, 
if  any  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  should  push  between 
the  divisions,  they  could  be  attacked  in  the  rear,  as 
well  as  in  front.  When,  therefore,  the  French  ar- 
tillery opened  upon  them,  and  whole  ranks  were 
mowed  down,  the  chasms  were  instantly  filled,  and 
not  a  foot  of  ground  lost.  But  such  was  the  impetu- 
osity of  the  French  onset,  that  the  light  troops,  drawn 
up  in  front  of  these  squares,  were  driven  in,  and  the 
cavalry,  which  should  have  supported  them,  fled  on 
every  side.  The  Brunswick  infantry  now  opened 
their  fire  upon  the  French  cavalry,  with  a  coolness 
and  intrepidity  that  made  dreadful  gaps  in  their 
squadrons,  and  strewed  the  ground  with  men  and 
horses  that  were  advancing  to  the  charge.  But  the 
courage  of  the  French  did  not  desert  them.  Their 
artillery  played,  at  the  distance  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards,  on  the  British  squares,  with  dreadful 
execution.  Their  object  was  to  push  back  the  right 
wing  of  the  British,  and  establish  themselves  on  the 
Nivelles  road.  But  the  courage  of  their  opponents 
rendered  these  efforts  unavailing ;  and  the  struggle 
here  at  length  subsided,  to  rage  with  greater  fury  in 
other  parts  of  the  field.     A  strong  body  of  French 


PROGRESS   OF   THE   BATTLE.  233 

infantry  advanced,  without  firing  a  shot,  to  the  po- 
sition occupied  by  Sir  Thomas  Picton  and  Kempt. 
They  had  gained  the  heights,  when  Sir  Thomas, 
forming  his  division  into  a  solid  square,  advanced  to 
the  charge  with  such  effect,  that,  after  firing  one 
volley,  the  French  retreated.  That  volley,  however, 
proved  fatal  to  our  brave  commander.  A  musket 
baU  strack  him  in  the  temple,  and  he  expired  with- 
out a  struggle.  After  his  fall,  it  was  ascertained 
that  he  had  been  wounded  on  the  16th,  but  had  care- 
fully concealed  it  from  every  one  but  his  servant. 
His  wound,  for  want  of  surgical  assistance,  had 
assumed  a  very  serious  aspect. 

Again  the  French  pressed  on,  and,  attacking  the 
Highland  division,  drove  them  back  in  great  dis- 
order. But  the  brigade  of  heavy  cavalry  now  came 
to 'their  assistance,  and  again  the  assailants  fell  back. 
A  column,  two  thousand  strong,  bore  down  upon 
the  92d  regiment,  which  immediately  formed  itself 
into  a  line,  and,  charging  on  the  foe,  broke  their 
centre.  The  French  were  now  reinforced  by  their 
cavalry,  and  the  British  by  the  brigade  of  heavy 
dragoons.  A  contest  then  ensued  which  has  hardly 
a  parallel  in  modern  warfare.  The  determined  valor 
of  the  British,  however,  conquered,  and  the  French 
retired  behind  their  infantry.  It  was  at  this  time 
that  Sir  William  Ponsonby  was  killed.  He  led  his 
brigade  against  the  PoUsh  lancers,  and  took  two 
hundred  prisoners ;  but,  riding  on  in  advance  of  his 
troops,  he  entered  a  newly-ploughed  field,  when  his 


234     MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

horse  stuck  in  the  mire,  and  he  found  it  impossible 
to  proceed.  At  this  instant,  a  body  of  lancers  rode 
up.  Sir  William  saw  that  his  fate  was  inevitable. 
He  took  out  his  watch  and  a  picture,  and  desu*ed 
some  one  near  to  send  them  to  his  wife.  A  moment 
after,  he  fell,  pierced  with  seven  lance  wounds. 

At  the  farm  of  La  Haye  Sainte,  the  French  suc- 
ceeded in  cutting  off  the  communication  of  the  Ger- 
man troops  stationed  there,  and  put  them  all  to  the 
bayonet.  Here  they  maintained  their  position,  until 
the  final  attack  in  the  evening.  The  combat  now 
raged  with  Unabated  fury.  Every  inch  of  ground 
was  disputed  on  both  sides,  and  neither  gave  way 
until  every  means  of  resistance  was  exhausted.  The 
field  of  battle  was  heaped  with  the  dead  ;  and  yet  the 
attack  grew  more  impetuous,  and  the  resistance  more 
obstinate.  The  continued  reverberations  of  mcrre 
than  six  hundred  pieces  of  artillery,  the  fire  of  the 
light  troops,  the  frequent  explosions  of  caissons  blown 
up  by  shells,  the  hissing  of  balls,  the  clash  of  arms, 
the  roar  of  the  charges,  and  the  shouts  of  the  sol- 
diery, produced  a  commingling  of  sounds  whose 
effect  it  would  be  impossible  to  describe.  Still,  the 
contest  raged  on.  After  the  advantage  gained  at 
La  Haye  Sainte,  Napoleon  threw  the  masses  of  both 
infantry  and  cavalry  upon  the  British  centre,  which 
was  now  exposed.  The  first  battalions  gave  way 
under  their  impetuous  attack,  and  the  French  cav- 
alry rushed  on  to  carry  the  guns  on  the  plains.  An 
English  ambuscade  ran  to  receive  them.    The  slaugh- 


PROGRESS    OF   THE   BATTLE.  237 

ter  was  honible.  Neither  party  yielded  a  step. 
Three  times  the  French  were  on  the  point  of  forcing 
their  position,  and  three  times  they  were  driven  back. 
Thgsy  cut  to  pieces  the  battalions  of  the  English,  who 
were  slow  or  unskilful  in  their  movements,  but  could 
make  no  impression  on  the  squares.  In  vain  were 
their  repeated  attacks.  They  were  repulsed,  with  the 
most  sanguinary  fury. 

Napoleon  now  advanced  the  whole  centre  of  his 
infantry,  to  assist  the  cavalry.  They  pressed  on  with 
an  enthusiasm  that  overpowered  all  resistance,  and, 
for  the  moment,  cag.ied  all  before  them.  It  was  at 
this  critical  period  that  our  noble  commander  showed 
himself  worthy  of  a  nation's  honor.  Everywhere  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight,  he  was  seen  cheering  by  his  pres- 
ence those  who  were  almost  ready  to  fail.  He  seemed 
to  bear  a  charme  d  life .  Balls  flew  thick  and  fast  around 
him,  and  his  staff-officers  fell  on  every  side  ;  yet  he 
moved  on  unharmed.  His  unwearied  exertions  were 
at  length  successful  in  an-esting  the  progress  of  the 
.French,  and  in  wresting  from  them  the  advantages 
they  had  gained.  Again  the  attack  on  the  chateau 
of  Hougomont  was  renewed.  The  cukassiers  poured 
the  strength  of  their  charge  upon  the  30th  regiment, 
who  received  them  in  a  square,  and  immediately 
deployed  into  a  line,  that  the  effect  of  their  fire 
might  be  more  fatal,  while  the  instant  re-formation  of 
the  square  protected  them,  in  a  degree,  from  the  next 
charge  of  the  enemy.  Leaving,  at  length,  the  30th 
regiment,  they  rushed  on  to  the  69th,  and  succeeded 


238     MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    o'NEIL. 

in  reaching  them  before  their  square  was  formed, 
which  enabled  them  to  commit  dreadful  slaughter. 
Before  the  British  cavalry  could  rush  to  their  relief, 
only  a  few  brave  soldiers  remained  to  effect  their 
escape.  Then,  retiring  to  their  former  position,  the 
fire  from  three  hundred  pieces  of  artillery  was  poured 
upon  the  whole  line  of  the  aUies.  The  effect  of  this 
fire  was  very  destructive.  One  general  ofl&cer  re- 
ported to  Wellington  that  his  brigade  was  reduced  to 
one-third  of  its  original  numbers,  and  that  a  tempo- 
rary cessation  was  necessary  to  the  very  existence 
of  his  troops.  "  What  you  propose,"  was  the  an- 
swer of  the  duke,  "  is  impossible.  You,  I,  and 
every  Englishman  on  the  field,  must  die  in  the  spot 
we  now  occupy."  "  It  is  enough,"  replied  the  gen- 
eral ;  "I,  and  every  man  under  my  command,  are 
determined  to  share  your  fate." 

Numerous  were  the  instances  on  each  side,  among 
both  officers  and  men,  of  self-sacrifice  to  save  their 
fellow-soldiers.  But,  notwithstanding  the  gallant 
defence  of  the  British,  their  situation  now  becama 
critical  in  the  extreme.  The  first  line  of  their  troops 
had  suffered  severely,  and  those  brought  up  to  assist 
them  could  not  always  be  relied  on.  One  Belgian 
regiment,  which  the  duke  himself  was  leading  to  the 
contest,  fled  from  the  first  fire,  and  left  the  duke  to 
seek  for  more  devoted  followers.  Another,  being 
ordered  to  support  a  charge,  was  so  long  in  doing  it, 
that  the  duke  sent  word  to  their  commander,  either 
to  advance  immediately,  or  to  draw  off  his  men  alto- 


ARRIVAL   OF   THE   PRUSSIAN   FORCE.  239 

gether.  He  thanked  his  Grace  for  the  permission, 
and  started  for  Brussels,  alarming  the  town  with  a 
report  that  the  French  were  at  his  heels. 

The  Duke  of  Wellington  felt  and  expressed  the 
greatest  anxiety.  He  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost 
to  cheer  his  men  ;  but,  as  he  saw  how  fatal  were  the 
French  charges,  he  said  to  one  of  the  officers  near 
him,  "0  that  night,  or  Blucher,  would  come!" 
Napoleon  saw,  at  last,  as  h^  imagined,  that  the  con- 
test was  nearly  won.  Already  were  couriers  sent 
off  to  Paris  to  announce  to  its  anxious  multitudes 
that  victory  had  crowned  his  efforts.  Already  had 
the  shouts  of  victory!  victory!  passed  from  rank 
to  rank  among  the  French,  as  they  saw  the  lines  of 
the  English  tremble  and  fall  back.  But  now  a  sound 
was  heard  which  stilled,  for  a  moment,  even  the  fierce 
tumult  of  the  battle.  It  was  the  voice  of  the  trum- 
pet, announcing  the  arrival  of  fresh  troops  ;  and  the 
most  intense  anxiety  pervaded  every  heart,  to  learn 
to  what  army  they  belonged.  Both  parties  felt  that 
the  answ^er  must  decide  the  fate  of  the  day.  Mar- 
shal Grouchy  had  been  stationed,  with  thirty  thou- 
sand men,  to  control  the  movements  of  the  Prussian 
army ;  and,  in  case  of  a  severe  engagement,  he  was 
to  advance  with  his  men  to  assist  Napoleon.  At  day- 
break, an  aid-de-camp  was  sent,  commanding  him 
to  be  in  readiness  at  a  moment's  warning.  Soon 
after,  another  followed,  requesting  him  to  march  im- 
mediately to  the  scene  of  action.  At  ten  o'clock,  he 
had  not  moved  from  his  encampment.     Still,  Napo- 

21 


240       MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

leon's  confidence  in  him  was  unshaken.  "  He  has 
committed  a  horrible  fault,"  said  he;  "but  he  will 
repair  it."  Every  hour  he  had  expected  his  arrival ; 
and  now,  when  the  first  files  of  the  new  army- 
emerged  from  the  wood,  he  felt  almost  certain  that 
his  hopes  were  realized.  But  the  Prussian  standard 
was  unfurled,  and  the  English,  with  loud  cheers  and 
renewed  courage,  returned  to  the  charge.  Even 
then.  Napoleon  persisted  in  believing  that  the  Prus- 
sian army  was  only  retreating  before  the  marshal, 
and  that  he  would  soon  appear  on  the  field.  He  was 
mistaken. 

Grouchy,  if  report  may  be  believed,  corrupted  by 
British  gold,  remained   in  inglorious  safety  in  his 
camp.     He  himself  always  maintained  that  he  be- 
lieved the  small  detachment  of  the  Prussian  army 
which  remained  near  him  was  the  whole   of  their 
force  ;  and  that,  though  the  very  ground  under  him 
was  shaken  by  the  reverberation  of  the   continued 
discharges   of  artillery,    he   was   acting  up  to   his 
orders  in  remaining  to  check  the  Prussians.     Be  this 
as  it  may,  his  conduct  decided  the  fate  of  the  day.* 
"  The  destiny  of  Europe  hung  on  the  feeble  intellect 
of  a  single  man  ;   and  his  sluggish  arm,  in  its  tardy 
movements,  swept   crowns   and   thrones   before   it, 
overturned  one  of   the  mightiest  spirits   the  worid 
ever  nurtured,  and  SQt  back  the  day  of  Europe's  final 
emancipation  half  a  century.     In  a  moment,  Napo- 
leon saw  that  he  could  not  sustain  the  attack  of  so 

*Headley. 


CHARGE   OP   THE   OLD   GUARD.  241 

many  fresh  troops,  if  once  allowed  to  form  a  junc- 
tion with  the  alUed  forces  ;  and  so  he  determined  to 
stake  his  fate  on  one  bold  cast,  and  endeavor  to 
piBrce  the  allied  centre,  with  a  grand  charge  of  the 
Old  Guard,  and  thus,  throwing  himself  between  the 
two  armies,  fight  them  separately.  For  this  purpose, 
the  Imperial  Guard  was  called  up,  which  had  re- 
mained inactive  during  the  whole  day,  and  divided 
into  two  immense  columns,  which  were  to  meet  at 
the  British  centre.  That  under  Reille  no  sooner 
entered  the  fire  than  it  disappeared  like  mist.  The 
other  was  placed  under  Ney, —  the  bravest  of  the 
brave, —  and  the  order  to  advance  given.  Napoleon 
accompanied  them  part  way  down  the  slope,  and, 
halting  for  a  moment  in  a  hollow,  addressed  them  in 
his  furious,  impetuous  manner.  He  told  them  that 
the  battle  rested  with  them,  and  he  relied  on  their 
valor.  *Vive  I'Empereur!'  answered  him,  with  a 
shout  that  was  heard  all  over  the  field  of  battle. 

"  The  whole  continental  struggle  exhibited  no 
sublimer  spectacle  than  this  last  effort  of  Napoleon  to 
save  his  sinking  empire.  Europe  had  been  put  upon 
the  plains  of  Waterloo  to  be  battled  for.  The  great- 
est military  energy  and  skill  the  world  possessed  had 
been  tasked  to  the  utmost  during  the  day.  Thrones 
were  tottering  on  the  ensanguined  field,  and  the 
shadows  of  fugitive  kings  flitted  through  the  smoke 
of  battle.  Bonaparte's  star  trembled  in  the  zenith, 
—  now  blazing  out  in  its  ancient  splendor, —  now 
suddenly  paling  before  his  anxious  eye.     At  length, 


242      MILITARY   ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES    o'NEIL. 

when  the  Prussians  appeared  on  the  field,  he  re- 
solved to  stake  Europe  on  one  bold  throw.  He  saw 
his  empire  rest  on  a  single  charge.  The  intense 
anxiety  with  which  he  watched  the  advance  of  that 
column,  and  the  terrible  suspense  he  suffered  when 
the  smoke  of  battle  wrapped  it  from  his  sight,  and 
the  utter  despair  of  his  great  heart  when  the  cur- 
tain lifted  over  a  fugitive  army,  and  the-  despairing 
shriek  rung  on  every  side,  'La  garde  recule, — la 
garde  recule,'  make  us  for  a  single  moment  forget 
all  the  carnage,  in  sympathy  with  his  distress. 

"Nothing  could  be  more  imposing  than  the  move- 
ment of  that  grand  column  to  the  assault.  That 
guard  had  never  yet  recoiled  before  a  human  foe,  and 
the  allied  forces  beheld  with  awe  its  firm  and  terrible 
advance  to  the  final  charge.  For  a  moment  the  bat- 
teries stopped  playing,  and  the  firing  ceased  along 
the  British  lines,  as,  without  the  beating  of  a  drum 
or  the  blast  of  a  bugle  to  cheer  their  steady  courage, 
they  moved  in  dead  silence  over  the  plain.  The 
next  moment  the  artillery  opened,  and  the  head  of 
that  gallant  column  seemed  to  sink  into  the  earth. 
Rank  after  rank  went  down,  yet  they  neither  stopped 
nor  faltered.  Dissolving  squadrons  and  whole  bat- 
talions disappearing,  one  after  another,  in  the 
destructive  fire,  affected  not  their  steady  courage. 
The  ranks  closed  up  as  before,  and  each  treading 
over  his  fallen  comrade,  pressed  firmly  on.  The 
horse  which  the  gallant  Ney  rode  fell  under  him  ;  and 
he  had  scarcely  mounted  another,  before  it  also  sunk 


CHARGE  OF  THE  OLD  GUARD.        245 

to  the  earth.  Again  and  again  did  that  unflinching 
man  feel  his  steed  sink  down,  until  five  had  been 
shot  under  him.  Then,  with  his  uniform  riddled 
with  bullets,  and  his  face  singed  and  blackened  with 
powder,  he  marched  on  foot,  with  drawn  sabre  in 
hand,  at  the  head  of  his  men.  In  vain  did  the  artil- 
lery hurl  its  storm  of  fire  and  lead  into -that  living 
mass.  Up  to  the  very  muzzles  they  pressed,  and, 
driving  the  artillery-men  from  their  own  pieces, 
pushed  on  through  the  English  lines.  But,  at  that 
moment,  a  file  of  soldiers,  who  had  lain  flat  upon  the 
ground  behind  a  low  ridge  of  earth,  suddenly  arose 
and  poured  a  volley  in  their  very  faces.  Another 
and  another  followed,  till  one  broad  sheet  of  flame 
rolled  on  their  bosoms,  and  in  such  a  fierce  and  un- 
expected flow  that  human  courage  could  not  with- 
stand it.  They  reeled,  shook,  staggered  back,  then 
turned  and  fled.  Ney  was  borne  back  in  the  reflu- 
ent tide,  and  hurried  over  the  field.  But  for  the 
crowd  of  fugitives  that  forced  him  on,  he  would  have 
stood  alone,  and  fallen  on  his  footsteps.  As  it  was, 
disdaining  to  give  way,  though  the  whole  army  was 
fljmag,  that  noble  marshal  formed  his  men  into  two 
immense  squares,  and  endeavored  to  stem  the  terrific 
current ;  and  would  have  done  so,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  thirty  thousand  fresh  Prussians  that  pressed 
upon  his  exhausted  ranks.  For  a  long  time,  those 
squares,  under  the  unflinching  Ney,  stood,  and  let 
the  artillery  plough  through  them.  But  the  fate  of 
Napoleon  was  writ,  and  though  Ney  doubtless  did 


246      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    o'nEIL. 

what  no  other  man  in  the  army  could  have  done, 
the  decree  could  not  be  reversed.  The  star  that 
blazed  so  brightly  over  the  Avorld  went  down  with 
honor  and  in  blood,  and  the  '  bravest  of  the  brave ' 
had  fought  his  last  battle.  It  was  worthy  of  his 
great  name  ;  and  the  charge  of  the  Old  Guard  at 
Waterloo,  with  him  at  their  head,  will  be  pointed  to 
by  remotest  generations  with  a  shudder." 

Soon  after  Sir  Robert  Picton  had  received  his 
death  wound,  while  our  shattered  regiment  was 
charging,  on  the  French  column,  a  bullet  pierced-  my 
left  arm,  the  first  wound  I  ever  received  in  all  my 
engagements,  — •  the  mark  of  which  is  now  plainly 
visible, — which  obliged  me  to  fall  back.  I  bled  very 
freely ;  and  this  Aveakened  me  so  much,  that,  finding 
it  impossible  to  continue  my  retreat  over  the  pile  of 
dead  and  wounded  with  which  the  field  was  covered, 
I  fell  among  them.  Here  I  lay  for  a  few  moments, 
endeavoring  to  recover  my  exhausted  strength.  But 
here  my  situation  was  as  dangerous  as  that  of  those 
advancing  to  the  charge.  Balls  were  flying  in  every 
direction  around  me,  sometimes  striking  in  the  earth, 
soaked  with  the  recent  rains,  and  throwing  it  in 
every  direction  ;  but  oftener  falling  on  the  wounded, 
who  might  yet  have  had  a  chance  for  life,  and  crush- 
ing them  in  a  yet  more  terrible  death.  Many  a  poor 
fellow,  who  had  fallen  from  wounds,  and  the  weak- 
ness induced  by  exertion,  with  the  loss  of  blood,  was 
trampled  to  death  by  the  advancing  cavalry.  It  was 
this,  combined  with  an  earnest  desire   to  see  the 


WOUNDS    OF   THE   AUTHOR.  247 

progress  of  the  battle,  that  induced  me  to  endeavor 
to  change  my  location.  I  rose,  and  with  great  dif- 
ficulty proceeded  but  a  few  steps,  when  a  second 
ball  entered  my  thigh,  which  again  brought  me  to 
the  ground.  Scarcely  had  I  fallen  the  second  time, 
Avhen  a  company  of  Scotch  Greys  made  a  charge  upon 
the  French  trooj)s,  not  ten  rods  from  where  I  lay.  I 
then  gave  up  all  hope  of  ever  leaving  that  battle- 
field, and  expected  never  to  rise  again.  Already,  in 
imagination,  I  felt  "the  iron  heel  of  the  horse" 
trampling  out  my  little  remnant  of  life.  The  contest 
raged  fearfully  around  us.  Shots  were  exchanged 
thick  and  fast,  and  every  moment  but  heightened  the 
horrors  of  the  scene.  The  blood  flowed  rapidly  from 
my  wounds,  and  my  doom  seemed  inevitable.  An 
old  tattered  handkerchief  was  all  that  I  could  procure 
to  stop  the  rapidly  exhausting  hemorrhage.  With  my 
remaining  hand  and  teeth  I  succeeded  in  tearing  this 
into  strips,  and  stuffed  it  into  my  wounds  with  my 
fingers  as  best  I  could.  This  arrested  the  crimson 
tide  in  some  degree.  I  knew  not  how  severe  my 
wounds  might  be  ;  but,  even  if  a  chance  of  life  re- 
mained from  them,  I  knew  full  well  that  I  was  ex- 
posed every  moment  to  share  the  fate  of  those  who 
lay  around  me.  Friends  and  enemies  fell  on  every 
side,  and  mingled  their  groans  and  blood  in  one  com- 
mon stream.  Our  lines  were  driven  back,  and  our 
brave  men  compelled  to  yield  the  contest.  Kivers 
of  blood  were  poured  out,  and  regiments  of  brave 
men  were   cut  down  in  rapid  succession.     Nothing 


248     MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   o'nEIL. 

could  exceed  the  bravery  of  the  combatants  on  both 
sides.  But  the  French  light  troops  had  this  advan- 
tage of  the  English, —  they  could  load  and  fire  more 
rapidly  than  their  enemies.  The  duke  was  com- 
pelled to  see  his  plans  frustrated,  and  his  lines  cut 
to  pieces  and  driven  back  by  the  emperor's  troops. 
Victory  seemed  already  decided  against  us.  Our 
men  were  fleeing — the  enemy  advancing  with  shouts 
of  victory.  The  fate  of  the  day  seemed  settled,  and 
to  us  soldiers  it  was  so.  It  was  not  possible  to  rally 
the  men  to  another  charge.  But,  at  the  moment 
when  all  seemed  lost,  a  bugle,  with  drum  and  fife, 
was  heard  advancing  with  rapid  step.  All  supposed 
it  to  be  Grouchy's  regiment  of  fresh  troops,  ready  to 
follow  up  the  victory,  and  completely  destroy  the 
remnant  of  the  duke's  forces.  Consternation  now 
filled  every  mind,  and  confusion  and  disorder  reigned. 
But  the  Prussian  colors  were  seen  hoisted,  and  it  was 
then  announced  that  Blucher,  with  thirty  thousand 
men,  was  at  hand.  A  halt,  or  rally,  and  renewed 
hopes  animated  every  breast.  This  was  the  lucky 
moment,  and  the  fate  of  the  day  was  at  once 
changed.  Report  charges  Grouchy  with  being  cor- 
rupted and  bought  by  English  gold, —  that  he  sold 
himself  to  the  allied  forces,  and  thus  gave  them  the 
victory, —  for,  had  he  come  at  that  time,  we  should 
have  been  completely  destroyed.  Grouchy  never 
entered  the  fight,  or  rendered  Napoleon  any  assist- 
ance whatever.  He  was  made  immensely  rich,  and 
spent  his  life  in  the  English  possessions.     He  has 


SUFFERING   UPON   THE   FIELD.  249 

ever  been  regarded  as  the  man  who  sold  his  country 
and  himself  to  the  allies.  His  life  was  neither  peace- 
ful or  happy.  He  died  in  1848.  That  Wellington 
never  gained  the  victory  at  Waterloo  by  fair  and 
honorable  means,  is  not  and  cannot  be  asserted. 
But  gold  accomplished  what  neither  the  iron  duke 
or  his  numerous  allies  could  accomplish  by  military 
prowess  and  skill.  Napoleon  would  have  gained  the 
victory  of  Waterloo,  had  not  treachery  and  bribery 
done  their  work.  I  must  own  the  truth,  although  it 
be  the  lasting  disgrace  of  my  nation.  I  fought  hard 
against  Napoleon,  and  for  my  king.  My  hands  were 
both  blistered  and  burned  black  by  holding  my  gun, 
which  became  so  hot,  the  flesh  was  nearly  burnt  off 
the  palms  of  both  my  hands.  While  I  lay  upon  the 
ground  covered  with  blood,  unable  to  move,  some  one, 
more  able  than  the  rest,  shouted,  *'  The  French  are 
retreating.  Blucher,  with  thirty  thousand  fresh 
troops  has  arrived,  and  is  pursuing."  This  glad 
sound  enabled  me  to  raise  my  head,  and  soon,  with 
great  joy,  I  saw  that  the  French  were  truly  falling 
back,  and  that  our  troops  were  following.  Again  I 
felt  that  I  had  another  chance  for  life  ;  and  this 
thought  gave  me  strength  to  reach  my  knapsack, 
from  which  I  took  a  silk  handkerchief,  and  with  my 
teeth  and  right  hand  succeeded  in  tearing  it,  as  I 
did  the  one  before,  and  binding  up  tightly  my 
wounds.  This  stopped  the  flow  of  blood  while  I 
remained  perfectly  still;  but  the  least  movement 
caused  it  to  gush  forth  afresh.     A  little  distance  from 


250       MILITARY  ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    o'nEIL. 

me  was  a  small  hill,  and  under  its  shelter  I  should 
be  in  comparative  safety.  0,  how  I  longed  to  reach 
it !  Again  and  again  I  attempted  to  rise ;  but  every 
attempt  was  useless,  and  I  was  about  resigning  myself 
to  my  fate,  when  I  observed,  only  a  short  distance 
from  me,  a  woman  with  a  child  in  her  arms.  This 
woman  belonged  to  the  company  of  camp-followers, 
who  were  even  now  engaged  in  stripping  the  dead 
and  wounded,  with  such  eager  haste,  that  they  often 
advanced  too  near  the  contending  columns,  and  paid 
with  their  lives  their  thirst  for  gold.  In  my  travels 
it  has  often  been  my  lot  to  witness  the  birds  of  prey 
hovering  over  the  still  living  victim,  only  waiting 
till  its  power  of  resistance  is  lost,  to  bury  their  beaks 
in  the  writhing  and  quivering  flesh,  to  satisfy  their 
thirst  for  blood.  I  could  think  of  nothing  else,  as  I 
saw  those  wretches,  reckless  of  their  own  lives,  in 
their  anxiety  to  be  first  on  the  ground,  and  lost  to 
all  feelings  of  humanity  for  others,  stripping  from  the 
yet  warm  dead  everything  of  value  upon  their 
persons ;  not  hesitating  to  punish  with  death  even 
the  least  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  wounded,  and 
making  sport  of  their  groans  and  sufferings.  This 
woman  came  quite  near  to  me.  She  stooped  to  take 
a  gold  watch  from  the  pocket  of  an  officer.  As  she 
raised  herself,  a  shell  struck  the  child,  as  it  lay 
sleeping  in  her  arms,  and  severed  its  little  body 
completely  in  two.  The  shock  struck  the  mother  to 
the  ground  ;  but,  soon  recovering  herself,  she  sat  up, 
gazed  a  moment  upon  the  disfigured  remains  of  her 


FLIGHT   OF   THE   FRENCH   ARMY.  251 

child,  and,  apparently  unmoved,  continued  her  fiend- 
ish work.  Thus  does  war  destroy  all  the  finer  feel- 
ings of  the  heart,  and  cherish  those  passions  which 
quench  even  the  pure  flame  of  a  mother's  love  for  her 
helpless  and  dependent  child.  To  this  woman  I  ap- 
pealed for  help  ;  and,  with  her  assistance,  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  little  hill  to  which  I  have  alluded, 
and  remained  there  in  safety  until  the  fate  of  the  day 
was  fully  decided. 

Between  eight  and  nine  o'clock  that  night  the  last 
of  the  French  troops  had  withdrawn  from  the  field, 
which  had  been  fatal  to  so  many  thousands  of  human 
beings.  The  clouds  and  rain,  which  had  rendered 
the  preceding  night  so  uncomfortable,  had  disap- 
peared, and  the  full  moon  shone  in  unclouded  splen- 
dor. The  English  army,  or,  at  least,  that  remnant  of 
them  left  alive,  wearied  out  by  the  exhausting  scenes 
of  the  day,  had  returned  to  their  bivouac  of  the 
night  preceding,  while  the  Prussians,  under  Blucher, 
continued  the  pursuit  of  the  flying  and  panic-stricken 
French. 

History  informs  us  that  the  horrors  of  that  night 
exceeded  even  the  tremendous  scenes  of  the  day. 
The  French  were  in  complete  confusion.  Carriages 
and  horsemen  marched  over  the  fainting  and  ex- 
hausted infantry.  The  officers  tried  in  vain  to  rally 
their  men,  that  they  might  retreat  in  order.  The 
first  flash  of  a  Prussian  gun  Avould  scatter  them,  in 
the  wildest  confusion.  Thousands  fell  in  the  con- 
fusion of  the  retreat,  and  thousands  more  were 
22 


252    MLLITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

crushed  to  death,  or  drowned  in  crossing  the  rivers. 
Napoleon  himself  hut  just  escaped  with  his  liberty. 
His  carriage  was  stopped,  his  postilion  and  coach- 
man killed,  and  the  door  of  his  coach  torn  open  just 
in  season  to  witness  his  escape  from  the  other  side. 
While  Blucher  led  on  the  Prussians  in  this  murder- 
ous pursuit,  the  Duke  of  Wellington  again  led  his 
army  upon  the  field  of  battle.  The  wild  tumult  and 
confusion  which  had  pervaded  it  through  the  day 
was  now  stilled,  but  the  groans  of  the  wounded  and 
the  shrieks  of  the  dying  were  heard  on  every 
side.  The  English  re-trod  the  battle-field,  and 
searched  out  their  wounded  comrades,  and  hastily 
dressed  their  wounds.  They  then  constructed  litters, 
and  on  these  carriages  were  the  sick  and  wounded 
borne  to  the  hospitals  of  Brussels  and  Antwerp. 

I  have  somewhere  read  a  description,  written  by 
an  eye-witness  of  the  scenes  of  the  night  and  follow- 
ing day,  which  I  will  beg  leave  of  my  readers  to 
transcribe  here.  He  says  :  "  The  mangled  and  life- 
less bodies  were,  even  then,  stripped  of  every  cover- 
ing —  everything  of  the  smallest  value  was  already 
carried  ofiT.  The  road  between  Waterloo  and  Brus- 
sels, which  passes  for  nine  miles  through  the  forest 
of  Soigny,  was  choked  up  with  scattered  baggage, 
broken  wagons  and  dead  horses.  The  heavy  rains 
and  the  great  passage  upon  it  rendered  it  almost 
impassable,  so  that  it  was  with  extreme  difficulty 
that  the  carriages  containing  the  wounded  could  be 
brought  along.     The  way  was  lined  with  unfortunate 


THE   SCENE  AFTER  THE   BATTLE.  253 

men,  who  had  crept  from  the  field ;  and  many  were 
unable  to  go  further,  and  laid  down  and  died.  Holes 
dug  by  the  wayside  served  as  their  graves,  and  the 
road  for  weeks  afterwards  was  strewed  with  the  tat- 
tered remains  of  their  clothes  and  accoutrements. 
In  every  village  and  hamlet, —  in  every  part  of  the 
country  for  thirty  miles  round, —  the- wounded  were 
found  wandering,  the  Belgian  and  Dutch  stragglers 
exerting  themselves  to  the  utmost  to  reach  their  own 
homes.  So  great  was  the  number  of  those  needing 
care,  that,  notwithstanding  the  most  active  exertions, 
the  last  were  not  removed  to  BrusseLs  until  the 
,  Thursday  following. 

"  The  desolation  which  reigned  on  the  scene  of 
action  cannot  be  described.  The  fields  of  corn  were 
trampled  down,  and  so  completely  beaten  into  the 
mire  that  they  had  the  appearance  of  stubble.  The 
ground  was  completely  ploughed  up,  in  many  places, 
with  the  charge  of  the  cavalry  ;  and  the  horses'  hoofs, 
deep  stamped  into  the  earth,  left  thQ  traces  where 
many  a  dreadful  sti'uggle  had  been.  The  whole  field 
was  strewed  with  the  melancholy  vestiges  of  devas- 
tation :  soldiers'  caps,  pierced  with  many  a  ball, — 
eagles  that  had  ornamented  them, —  badges  of  the 
legion  of  honor, —  cuirasses'  fragments,  —  broken 
arms,  belts,  and  scabbards,  shreds  of  tattered  cloth, 
shoes,  cartridge-boxes,  gloves.  Highland  bonnets, 
feathers  steeped  in  mud  and  gore, —  French  novels 
and  German  testaments, —  scattered  music  belonging 
to  the  bands, —  packs  of  cards,  and  innumerable  pa- 


254      MILITARY    ADVENTURES   OP    CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

pers  of  every  description,  thrown  out  of  the  pockets 
of  the  dead,  by  those  who  had  pillaged  them, —  love- 
letters,  and  letters  from  mothers  to  sons,  and  from 
children  to  parents ;  —  all,  all  these,  and  a  thousand- 
fold more,  that  cannot  be  named,  were  scattered  about 
in  every  direction." 

The  total  loss  of  the  allies,  during  the  four  days, 
was  sixty-one  thousand  and  five  hundred,  and  of  the 
French  forty-one  thousand. 

For  my  own  part,  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  reach 
Brussels  on  the  following  day ;  but  it  was  not  till  the 
20th  that  my  wounds  could  be  attended  to  and 
dressed.  So  great  was  the  number  requiring  surgi- 
cal attendance,  that,  although  the  utmost  diligence 
was  used  by  every  surgeon  attached  to  the  army,  yet 
many  died  who  might  perhaps  have  been  saved,  could 
immediate  attention  have  been  given  to  their  wounds. 
On  this  morning,  the  surgeon  came  to  me,  and,  hav- 
ing examined  my  arm,  declared  that  it  must  be 
amputated.  .  To  this  I  stoutly  refused  my  consent. 
He  still  insisted  upon  it,  saying  that  it  would  surely 
mortify,  and  cause  my  death  ;  but  I  said  to  him  that, 
if  I  must  die,  it  should  be  with  my  arm  attached. 
My  readers  may  perhaps  wonder  at  my  obstinacy  ; 
but  their  astonishment  may  possibly  diminish,  when 
they  learn  that  for  every  joint  amputated  the  oper- 
ating surgeon  obtained  an  enormous  price  from  the 
government ;  and  I  was  confident,  in  my  own  mind, 
that,  in  my  wound,  the  fee  lay  at  the  foundation  of  his 
judgment.     He  persisted,  but  I  was  firm ;  and  thus 


RECOVERY   FROM   WOUNDS.  255 

kept  my  arm,  which  has  since,  to  my  great  joy,  done 
me  much  good  service.  Others  of  my  comrades  in 
arms  were  not  so  fortunate.  All  day  long  the 
business  of  amputation  went  on,  and  at  night  three 
carts,  laden  with  legs  and  arms,  were  carried  away, 
leaving  many  hundreds  of  poor  fellows  on  the  invalid 
list  for  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 

I  remained  in  the  hospital  at  Brussels  until  Sep- 
tember, when  orders  came  that  all  the  invalid  sol- 
diers able  to  be  removed  should  be  transported  to 
England.  There  were  four  hundred  and  ninety 
sliipped  with  myself  on  board  the  Tiger,  and  on  the 
17th  day  of  September  vfe  arrived  in  Chatham. 
When  our  ship  came  into  the  harbor,  we  were  wel- 
comed with  military  honors,  as  soldiers  deserving  well 
of  their  country,  and  a  national  salute  of  sixty-two 
guns  from  Fort  Pitt  heralded  our  safe  arrival  in 
port.  I  was  immediately  carried  to  the  hospital,  for 
I  was  not  yet  recovered  from  my  wounds,  although 
able  to  be  about  part  of  the  time. 

Here  I  remained  until  the  3d  of  December,  when 
I  was  pronounced  cured  by  the  surgeons  of  the  hos- 
pital, or  so  far  recovered  from  my  wounds  as  not  to 
require  hospital  treatment.  My  wounds  at  this  time 
were  so  nearly  healed  that  I  could  dress  them  my- 
self, and  I  began  to  feel  that  I  was  a  man  again.  I 
was  now  ordered  to  return  again  to  the  barracks,  and 
wait  until  the  board  should  meet  to  decide  upon  the 
disabled  soldiers.  I  was  ordered  to  Chelsea,  into  the 
garrison,  under  the  command  of  Colonel  McCabe, 
22* 


256      MILITARY   ADVENTURES    OF    CHARLES    o'NEIL. 

who  treated  me  with  great  kindness  and  attention. 
Here  I  remained  until  the  17th  of  the  following  May, 
when  orders  were  received  for  the  invalid  soldiers 
to  go  before  the  board  for  inspection.  They  did 
not  meet,  however,  until  the  5th  day  of  June,  when 
his  Grace  the  Duke  of  York,  commander-in-chief 
of  the  armies  of  England,  convened  the  board. 

Our  whole  regiment  was  called,  and  every  man 
examined ;  and,  reader,  how  many  do  you  suppose 
there  remained  ?  We  were  one  thousand  strong, 
when  we  commenced  our  Peninsular  campaign.  Only 
seven  men,  with  our  colonel,  who  had  lost  one  arm, 
were  now  alive  !  Nine' hundred  and  ninety-two  had 
fallen  upon  the  field  of  mortal  strife,  and  only  seven 
men,  beside  myself,  could  be  found,  in  less  than  one 
year  after  the  bloody  battle  of  Waterloo  !  Such, 
reader,  are  some  of  the  horrors  of  war.  Nine  hun- 
dred and  ninety-two  men,  in  the  prime  of  life  and 
spirits,  out  of  one  thousand,  sacrificed  to  gratify  the 
ambition  of  kings  and  nobles ! 

We  passed  the  board  ;  and  what  do  you  think, 
reader,  was  the  compensation  we  received  for  the 
service  we  had  rendered  our  country  during  those  years 
of  carnage  and  blood  ?  One  shilling  sterling  per 
day !  Less  than  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  week 
was  to  be  my  pay  for  life,  if  I  remained  in  Great 
Britain.     Yet  even  this  I  was  thankful  to  receive. 

I  returned,  and  remained  in  the  garrison  at  Chel- 
sea, with  Colonel  McCabe,  until  March,  1818,  when 
I  left  to  visit  Ireland.     I  was  then  regularly  mus- 


CONCLUSION.  .  257 

tered  out  of  the  British  army,  and  returned  again  to 
my  home,  to  visit  the  loved  scenes  of  childhood  days, 
and  my  ever  dear  parents,  after  an  absence  of  eight 
years. 

For  twelve  years  —  that  is,  until  1830  —  I  re- 
mained near  my  home,  when,  in  consequence  of 
certain  things  in  which  I  was  engaged,  I  was  advised 
to  leave  the  country  with  all  possible  haste.  I  accord- 
ingly petitioned  government  to  commute  my  pen- 
sion,—  that  is,  give  it  up  under  certain  conditions, — 
and  settle  in  the  American  provinces.  The  oJBficers 
whose  duty  it  was  to  attend  to  such  business  an- 
swered that  I  could  receive  four  years'  pay  in  advance, 
and  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land  in  Upper 
Canada,  upon  the  relinquishment  of  my  pension. 
These  terms  were  at  once  accepted  by  me,  and 
drawing  two  years'  pay  in  Dublin,  I  sailed  for  Que- 
bec. Here  I  received  the  remainder  of  my  pay.  I 
immediately  proceeded  to  Montreal,  where  I  took  out 
the  deed  of  my  lands,  which  I  now  hold.  Not  feel- 
ing perfectly  safe  in  the  British  provinces,  I  imme- 
diately started  for  the  United  States ;  on  entering 
which,  I  felt  that  I  was  again  a  free  man,  and  am 
determined  to  remain  such  as  long  as  I  live.  I  came 
into  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Worcester,  where  I 
have  ever  since  remained ;  and,  by  persevering 
labor,  have  supported  thus  far  a  large  family  of  chil- 
dren. I  expect  to  remain  near  or  in  this  city,  where 
I  shall  be  happy  to  see  any  of  my  readers,  and  relate 
to  them  any  of  the  incidents  of  my  military  life 


258      MILITARY  ADVENTURES   OF   CHARLES   O'NEIL. 

which  it  was  not  possible  for  me  to  include  in  the 
preceding  narrative. 

In  thus  closing  this  brief  history  of  my  adventures, 
I  can  but  look  back  with  regret  upon  the  scenes  of 
strife  and  bloodshed  in  which  I  have  been  a  partici- 
pator ;  and  if  my  description  of  the  horrors  of  these 
scenes,  faint  and  imperfect  though  it  be,  should  add 
but  one  particle  to  that  broad  tide  of  influence  that 
must  be  exerted  ere  the  nations  of  this  world  shall 
learn  to  make  war  no  more,  I  shall  indeed  have  rea- 
son to  rejoice,  and  to  pray,  with  my  readers,  that  that 
blessed  time  may  soon  come,  when  all  this  bloody 
array  shall  be  changed  into  the  peaceful  implements 
of  husbandry,  and  universal  love  and  good-will  shall 
everywhere  prevail. 


ERRATA. 

The  following  paragraph  should  have  been  inserted 
on  page  28,  after  the  sentence  ending  on  the  7th 
line  : 

Orders  came  to  DubUn  for  militia  volunteers. 
Knowing  that  I  was  in  as  great  danger,  as  a  deserter, 
whilst  in  the  mihtia  as  at  home,  and  being  proud  of 
the  opportunity  of  volunteering,  we  were  called  by 
a  general  order  to  Phoenix  Park,  where  I  volun- 
teered from  the  Lowth  militia  into  the  28th  regiment 
of  foot,  for  foreign  service,  and  received  eighteen 
guineas,  as  volunteer's  pay,  —  being  the  fourth  time 
I  received  the  same  sum. 


t 


% 


0  b  % 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


Series  9482 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A  A      000172  565    4 


